Chikyuu no Senshi
by Sefilin
Summary: Mamoru's dreams of a Princess drive him in a search that brings him into contact with the warring senshi.
1. Part One

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Chikyuu no Senshi  
Part One  
A Sailormoon Alternate Reality Story  
By Sefilin (aka Lei)   
  
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A glowing planet floated in the midnight darkness,   
supplying a faint light to see by as he swiftly approached the   
familiar stone wall. He had seen this scene many times and it   
was always the same. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the   
dark shadow of his reflection on the pond and felt his cloak   
catch on the thorns of an unfamiliar plant. A sudden gust of   
wind tugged at his hair, tossing it away from his forehead. He   
pulled his cloak from the delaying grasp of the thorns and began   
to run closer and closer, stumbling a little. He felt his   
heartbeat pounding, fast and heavy and a certain desperation   
mounted as he ran. Suddenly he stopped, a hand resting on the   
cold wall he had been striving for. He tilted his head upwards,   
restlessly searching the shadows. He could hear someone crying,   
the sobs tearing at his soul and he fell to his knees at the   
pain. Then the sobs began to change, taking on form and cadence   
and he knew if he was close enough he would understand them.   
Gathering what power he could, he leapt upwards and took hold of   
the balustrade, pulling himself over and onto the balcony. In   
the dimness he saw a small grey shape huddled, shaking   
uncontrollably. The sobs were coming from there and he took a   
step closer, then another until he found himself kneeling beside   
her. His arms came around her and he held on as her shaking   
increased. She moved to return his embrace, turning her face into   
his neck and she whispered brokenly into his ear.  
  
"Free me. Oh please, free me..."  
  
==========  
  
"...before it's too late."  
  
Mamoru jolted awake, the last echoes of his dream   
reverberating through his head. He raised his hands to his face   
and felt the tears there.  
  
Taking a deep breath Mamoru held onto the dream, replaying   
it. It was different. It had changed. Where before he could   
always see the girl standing on the balcony, leaning towards him   
as he stood below her, now she was hidden, hidden in the   
lightless shadows, crying for him. Always before there had been   
an urgency to her request for freedom but now it was desperate.   
Time was running out for her. And somewhere deep in his soul,   
Mamoru knew that when her time ran out, so would his.  
  
He threw his sheets aside and walked across to the balcony   
door. He stepped outside and went to lean against the railing,   
his breathing deep and regulated. Turning his face to the sky,   
he searched as ever, for the moon; whether it was full and   
silver, divine in its glory, or whether it was a small sickle-  
curve tinted golden and waiting for the chance to step out from   
behind the shadows once more, he always searched for it after a   
dream.  
  
The first time he had ever had the dream was when he had   
been six. He had woken to the sight of a giant, white moon   
staring benevolently down at him, much like the planet in the   
dream. He had thought of the girl from the dream, likening her   
to the moon, but not knowing why. He had, however, known that   
she was the one, his to protect and love. Before that time he   
hadn't known any love but that which he had for his family and   
the sudden burgeoning of his heart and soul had terrified him.   
He didn't understand what it was and couldn't deal with the adult   
emotions that burned through him like wildfire. He had run to   
his mother and thrown himself heedlessly into her arms. She had   
stroked his short hair softly and he had fallen asleep to the   
sound of her gentle crooning.  
  
Mamoru shook away the memories and focused on the present.   
Now he knew what the emotions were. He had to find her before   
she disappeared and took him with her.  
  
Sparing a last lingering glance at the waning moon, he went   
back inside to search for sleep he was unsure would come.  
  
==========  
  
In another part of the city a young woman woke just as   
suddenly, her hand reaching out for the light that was fading.   
Tears fell heedlessly from her eyes as she whispered, "...too   
late..."  
  
==========  
  
"Mamoru! Mamoru-kun!"  
  
Motoki hopped across the stones that wound their way   
across the pond to the small island in the middle. Heading   
unerringly for the small pagoda hidden by the autumn trees he   
continued to yell for his friend. Breaking through the final   
arboreal defences he skidded to a stop and laughed at what he   
saw.  
  
Mamoru was standing in a semi-defensive position trying to   
ward off a pretty girl with long brown hair who was almost draped   
over him, her lips pursed for his favours. He sent distress   
signals to Motoki with his eyes as he turned his head away from   
the pouting red lips.   
  
Motoki laughed again as he bounded up to them,   
unembarrassed by the situation. He clapped Mamoru on the   
shoulder and smiled at the girl.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Er..."  
  
The girl blushed furiously as she finally noticed Motoki's   
presence and began to stutter something about returning to the   
house and it was nice meeting him and she'd see him around. She   
ran to the house without looking back and Mamoru glared at   
Motoki's grinning face.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Mamoru... you... I never knew you had it in you, to hit on   
innocent young girls like that. The poor thing. You even made   
her cry." His laughter was loud.   
  
"What. Do. You. Want. Motoki."  
  
"Oh, I was going to invite you to a party at Reika's dorm.   
You know, let you break a few more hearts before the semester   
finishes. Give you an excuse to get out of whatever your mother   
has planned for this evening, things like that. You interested?"  
  
"Sure, I guess. I need a break from studying."  
  
"Great. Now, details. Reika-chan has this friend..."  
  
"No."  
  
"Hey, at least let me finish!"  
  
Mamoru sighed, "Fine, go ahead."  
  
"Okay... she has this friend, Jun, who's really pretty but   
who forgot to ask anyone to be her date, so Reika-chan asked if I   
knew anyone who was coming but didn't have a date..." Motoki   
raised his eyebrows in question and waited for Mamoru to agree or   
disagree.  
  
"Jun's the purple-haired girl who always wears black, isn't   
she?"  
  
"Ah, yeah. You know her?"  
  
"You and Reika have been together for, what... a year and a   
half... and you've dragged me with you all over the place. I'm   
pretty sure I didn't escape meeting all of Reika's friends."   
  
"Oh. Well... at least you'll be colour coordinated?"  
  
Mamoru shook his head. "Look, I'd rather go alone than end   
up stuck with someone."  
  
"But, Mamoru-kun, think. If you go alone, you'll end up   
being propositioned from all sides. At least this way you'll   
only get propositioned by Jun."  
  
"No." Mamoru began to walk in the direction of his house   
and Motoki knew that as of now, unless he changed the subject,   
Mamoru would ignore him. He sighed in resignation and caught up   
to his friend.   
  
"Anyway, who was the chick?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, I think she's the daughter of the Director of   
Marketing in the company. Kurumi or something."  
  
"You like her?"  
  
Blue eyes looked with disbelief into green then turned away   
without deigning to answer.  
  
"Mamoru! Hey, Mamoru! Can you come and show Mika how to   
do that thing with the dragon in the Sailor Senshi game?"  
  
Mamoru looked at his younger brother and sighed. "Sure.   
I'll be there in a minute, okay, Hiro?"  
  
"Okay, but hurry up. Mika has to go home soon and she   
wants a go before then."  
  
Motoki decided it was time to go and said so to Mamoru who   
shrugged and saw him out, lifting his hand in farewell before   
heading upstairs.  
  
==========  
  
Motoki opened the car door and lowered himself into the   
seat before looking across at his long-time girlfriend Reika. He   
sighed dramatically and shook his head.  
  
"He said no."  
  
Pushing a strand of silky auburn hair behind her ear, Reika   
made a face. "Doesn't he ever date?"  
  
"Sure. About once a year."  
  
"Jun's not going to be happy, she has a really big crush on   
Mamoru. Is there any way we can get him to change his mind?"  
  
"Nope. He's met Jun before."  
  
"He has? But I thought... oh, I suppose Mamoru-san did come   
to my birthday party, didn't he?"  
  
"Yeah. Alone as usual."  
  
"What's with him? I mean, you'd expect a guy as cute and   
as rich as Mamoru-san is to have plenty of girlfriends, but I've   
never seen him with a girl, unless it was for a project or   
something."  
  
"Well, don't ask me. I don't understand it either, but he   
just isn't interested in girls. He told me once that the longest   
he can keep interested is five minutes, then he gets bored and   
irritated. The only way he can stand them is if they're doing a   
project and they're not trying to hit on him."  
  
"Oh well. I guess I'd better go break the news to Jun.   
Let's go."  
  
"Right."  
  
==========  
  
Mamoru watched as Mika finally managed to kill the dragon   
and jumped up and down in excitement, turning to hug her best   
friend Hiro. He smiled a little at the look on her face and the   
one on his brother's. She liked him, he didn't have a clue.   
Then Mika turned to thank him for showing her what to do.   
  
"Thanks for showing me how to do that, Mamoru-san."  
  
"No problem, Mika-chan."  
  
"Well, I'd better be going, or I'm gonna be late. I'll see   
you tomorrow, okay, Hiro?"  
  
"Yeah. See ya, Mika."  
  
Mamoru left with Mika, showing her out the door before   
going to find his mother to let her know he wasn't going to be   
there for her party this evening. He wondered, vaguely, why she   
insisted on having a party every Saturday night without fail then   
shrugged.  
  
"Okaasan?"  
  
"Mamoru-kun. What is it, dear?"  
  
"Motoki and I are going to a party tonight, so I won't be   
here, okay?"  
  
"Mamoru, you know I particularly want you here today. We   
need someone to look after Kurumi and you're the closest to her   
in age."  
  
"I know, Kaasan, but this is the last time I'll be able to   
see some of these people for a long time, if ever, and Kurumi   
will be here for the next few days, won't she? If you want me to   
I'll take her to the zoo, or something, tomorrow."  
  
Kyoko sighed and nodded. At least she thought, he was   
going to spend some time with Kurumi. She was such a sweet girl,   
and the daughter of one of the Director's in the company. She   
would know how to be the perfect wife for Mamoru when he took   
over running the company, her mother would make sure of it.   
"Okay, Mamoru-kun, you go, and have a good time with your   
friends. And say hello to Motoki and that lovely girlfriend of   
his for me, okay?"  
  
"Okay, Kaasan. Bye." He kissed his mother and left her to   
her thoughts, kicking himself for going so far as to offer to do   
something with Kurumi.   
  
It was not going to be fun, but his mother would probably   
have found some way to talk him into it anyway since she knew he   
hated saying no to her.  
  
He wandered around the ground floor of the mansion, and let   
his mind finally return to where it wanted to be. With the   
mysterious Princess of his dreams.  
  
He hoped to be able to go out looking that night, leaving   
the party as early as he could and cruising through the city,   
from shadow to shadow, blending into the night, dressed in the   
Tuxedo he was finally beginning to find comfortable. He didn't   
know what the odds of finding her in the city, late at night   
were, but he had to try at the very least. Maybe he'd even run   
into the Sailor Senshi again. He shook his head as he thought of   
the female vigilantes who went around saving the people of Tokyo   
from youma attacks in between yelling at and fighting each other.   
He wasn't sure how safe the city would be if they had to rely on   
that group if another enemy like the Negaverse turned up.   
  
He wondered what he'd do if his dreams told him his   
Princess was gone.   
  
He had to find her, he didn't want to know what it meant   
that she spent all of her time in darkness now, huddled in a   
shapeless ball on the ground. He wanted her to stand proudly,   
her pale hair gilded by the planet-light that spilt over the   
ponds and gardens as she laughed down at him, telling him to   
hurry up or they'd be late.   
  
Late to what, he didn't know, nor did he care. All he   
wanted was to find his dream Princess.  
  
==========  
  
"Mammoooorrrrruu-saaannn..."  
  
Mamoru looked up as his name was breathlessly drawled into   
his ear. He turned to find Jun standing there, smiling   
invitingly at him wearing her traditional black. He flicked his   
eyes dismissively over the pasted on dress and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I'm so glad you're here," Jun wriggled a little, trying to   
be sexy he supposed, "And you're all alone. How about... I keep   
you company?"  
  
"Why don't you find someone else." It wasn't a question   
and a startled expression appeared on her face followed by one of   
hurt.  
  
"Harsh. Hey, Mamoru-kun, take this." Motoki shoved a   
paper cup full of liquid at him and grinned. "Glad you actually   
came. Hey, did you here that Ten'ou Haruka-san's here? And   
brought this gorgeous friend along, Michiru or something. She's   
got this great pair of legs and..."  
  
"Motoki-chan!" Reika whapped her boyfriend on the back of   
the head and smiled in apology to Mamoru. "Besides, Michiru-  
san's _with_ Haruka-san, so it doesn't matter how good looking   
she is."  
  
"Ah... Oh."  
  
"Come on, let's dance." She looked at Mamoru then at Jun,   
"Why don't you dance with Jun, Mamoru-san?"  
  
"I don't dance."  
  
"Sure you do. Don't you remember last year at your   
mother's Christmas ball you..."  
  
"I don't dance, Motoki-kun."  
  
"Ah... right." Motoki took in the look in his friend's eyes   
and then looked for Reika and joined her on the dance floor.  
  
==========  
  
Mamoru did manage to slip out of the party that night as   
the two girls who had chosen him as their object of drunken   
affection began to bicker amongst themselves. He slipped the   
indestructible rose out of his pocket and looking around to make   
sure he didn't have company, transformed into his Tuxedo and   
leapt to the top of the dorm, running off into the darkness,   
jumping from roof to roof, keeping his eyes wide open for sight   
of the princess.  
  
He breathed in deeply as he sped through the night and   
found himself smiling. He was free, finally to be who he really   
was. He looked up at the sickle moon and the silver stars and   
his spirit quieted, removed from the hectic life he led as Chiba   
Mamoru. He paused on the top of a high-rise building and allowed   
his cloak to flutter around him in the breeze as he stood   
motionless, watching the velvet skies.  
  
A flicker of light caught his attention and he looked down   
to where a battle was taking place in a city street below him.   
He made his way closer and nodded. It was the Senshi. And... the   
Senshi. He'd seen the two vigilante groups a number of times   
during his midnight roaming over the past couple of years since   
they had first appeared and was always interested in watching   
their fights, they were so... interesting, particularly when they   
got together.  
  
Standing in the deep shadows of a doorway he watched   
Jupiter's lightening crackle and spark as it headed directly for   
Neptune's position. With a graceful spin and slide, she sent a   
return attack speeding for one of the other Senshi. Mars and   
Venus were taking on Sailor Uranus and Mercury looked like she   
was playing with an electronic diary or something.   
  
He snuck his way around the battle keeping to the shadows   
and appeared behind the busy Senshi. Stealing closer he managed   
to see over her shoulder and discover that it _was_ an electronic   
diary though he suspected it was somewhat more powerful than the   
type you could pick up any old place.   
  
It was about then that it chose to begin beeping   
frantically and Mercury drew her finger across one part of the   
'keypad' then spun around in alarm. The electronic diary   
disappeared and she took a few quick steps back bringing her arms   
up ready to attack.  
  
"Hey, don't mind me, I was just wondering what you were   
doing with that... um... electronic thingamee."  
  
"Who are you!"   
  
Tuxedo Kamen bowed deeply swirling his cape with a flourish   
and materialising a rose, which he handed to Mercury, "I am Tuxedo   
Kamen. And you are Sailor Mercury." He straightened abruptly.   
"So what was with the electronic thingy?" He tilted his head to   
one side and regarded her curiously. There was fear in her eyes   
which was quickly being replaced by anger.  
  
She answered abruptly, "It's my computer. _What_ are you?"  
  
"Merely a masked vigilante, not unlike yourself, I suppose.   
I see you still haven't resolved things with Uranus and Neptune.   
Such a pity. It does however seem you and the other Inners are   
getting along better, that's gotta count for something." He   
shook his head with overdone sadness then grinned. "Ah well, it   
makes watching you guys interesting."  
  
"Watching...?"  
  
"Oh sure, I remember the first time I saw any of you guys.   
You and Venus were taking on a sensei-turned-youma at some   
school. Then as soon as you had managed to beat it she left and   
you stood there swearing. A most impressive vocab by the way.   
Anyway, I'd better be going, nice meeting you finally, Mercury,   
I'm sure I'll see you around." With that he leapt upwards and   
landed on the roof of a nearby building then disappeared into the   
night leaving Mercury standing open mouthed on the ground having   
totally forgotten about the analysis she was meant to be running   
on the Outer Senshi.  
  
==========  
  
Neptune and Uranus hopped from rooftop to rooftop not   
speaking as they moved away from the battle arena where they had   
again drawn in the fight with the Inner Senshi. They were lucky   
that there was only two of them. If there had been more the   
Inner Senshi would have ended up... well, possibly dead.   
  
The animosity between the two Senshi groups had begun at   
their first meeting when Neptune had taken a heart crystal from a   
young boy and hadn't managed to get it back into him before it   
darkened into death. The softhearted Inners had fought on   
behalf of the boy but hadn't got very far and the two Outers had   
left to continue their search for the Talisman's.   
  
That had been over a year ago and they still hadn't had any   
luck and now they had the Sailor StarLights and Sailor Galaxia   
to worry about as well. As the Outer Senshi it was their job to   
protect what had been the Silver Millennium from outside threats,   
which included both the DeathBusters, Galaxia and the Star Lights   
and they _still_ hadn't found any of the Talisman's or the   
Messiah and they were running out of time. It wouldn't be long   
before The Silence would descend. In fact they were lucky it   
hadn't already fallen.  
  
The two Senshi stopped and detransformed, their sailor   
fukus dissolving into street clothes as they dropped into the   
concealing darkness of an alley. Nodding to each other they   
walked out onto the street and headed towards the apartment   
building that housed their penthouse apartment. Neither of them   
spoke until they had walked in the front door when Haruka broke   
the silence softly asking a question as she flicked the light   
switch.  
  
"Did you see it?"  
  
"You mean that guy who was talking to Mercury for a while?"  
  
"Mm. I think he's... well someone we knew before."  
  
"He did look familiar."  
  
"Like the Princess' Love."  
  
"The what?"  
  
"I'm not sure but that's what came to mind. The Princess'   
Love. I wonder if he knows where the Princess is?"  
  
"If we see him again we'll have to ask him. After all the   
Princess may know where the Talisman's are... for that matter he   
may."  
  
"I do think we need to talk to him." Haruka smiled a small   
smile that didn't reach her eyes and taking Michiru's hand led   
her through into the bedroom. "But for now we should probably   
get some rest. After all you've got that concert tomorrow and   
you want to look your best."  
  
Michiru smiled at her lover. "I guess so."  
  
The two walked into the bedroom closing the door behind   
them.  
  
==========  
  
Mamoru opened an eye the next morning with a groan and a   
hand emerged from beneath his covers and made it's way towards   
the alarm clock that had interrupted the first dreamless sleep he   
had had for many a night. His palm fell heavily on the sleep   
button and he buried his face back in his pillow closing his eyes   
and sighing. Why had he put the alarm on? It was a holiday.   
Then his brain shut down once more as he drifted back into the   
darkness of sleep.  
  
Half an hour later someone shook him awake.  
  
"Mamoru, 'kaasan says you have to get u-up." Hiro spoke   
directly into his ear without modulating his voice. It was his   
lot in life to torment the older brother he idolised.  
  
Mamoru groaned and swatted at Hiro with his hand as he   
would have at a fly. "Go 'way."  
  
"C'mon, Mamoru, rise and shine and all that. 'Kaasan says   
you have to get up now. Kurumi-san's coming over in a while and   
she says you have to be ready."  
  
"Aahh? Who?"  
  
"Kurumi-san, you know, that girl who's been trying to get   
you to ask her out, Honjo-san's daughter? You said you'd take   
her to the zoo." Hiro snickered. "You have to get up, Mamoru."  
  
Mamoru lifted his head and glared at Hiro. He didn't   
remember anything of the kind. Why on Earth would he have said   
he'd take her to the zoo when he didn't like her in the least and   
was, in fact, one of the more annoying females he had met lately?   
She couldn't compare to Jun from last night but she came close.   
It was the recollection of last night that triggered the   
recollection of his conversation with his mother earlier when he   
had said, off-handedly, that he would take her to the zoo. He   
sighed. His mother had obviously taken things into her own   
hands. He wished she wouldn't do that.  
  
Sighing, Mamoru pushed himself up onto his hands and turned   
until he was in a sitting position. He ran his hands through his   
hair and scrubbed at his face before turning to Hiro again.   
"Okay, you can tell 'Kaasan I'll be down in a while."  
  
Hiro nodded and skipped out of the room, disgustingly   
cheerful and wide-eyed.  
  
Mamoru winced as the door slammed shut and slowly worked   
his way to the bathroom wishing he hadn't stayed out so late   
looking for the princess and wishing, even more, that he hadn't   
gone and set himself up for this thing with Kurumi which she   
would probably end up calling a date and Mamoru would end up   
calling incredibly boring, a waste of time and something he would   
not want to do again under any circumstances. He turned the   
shower on and waited till it was warm enough before stepping   
under the fall of water and slouching as he scrubbed himself   
clean.  
  
Exiting the shower long minutes later he roughly dried his   
hair and folded the towel around his waist, stepping back out   
into his bedroom. He was a few steps into the room when he heard   
the small gasp that came from his bed.   
  
He turned and found himself looking blankly at Kurumi.  
  
"Oh, Ohaiyo, Kurumi-chan, can I help you?"  
  
"Ah, n-no..." Kurumi trailed off and stared at him.   
  
Mamoru frowned and wondered why she was staring, surely he   
wasn't that bad. He looked down at his chest to see if   
everything was where he had left it. Yup, so what was the   
problem? He glanced over at Kurumi again and finally noticed the   
rosy blush on her cheeks and the embarrassed, excited look in her   
eyes. Oh. His expression froze and he gave Kurumi a cold look.  
  
"I need to get dressed, so if you could leave?" Mamoru   
gestured towards the door and Kurumi nodded, her colour rising   
further as she stood up and walked towards the door, stumbling a   
little at one point but finally managing to make her way out.   
She closed the door softly after her and Mamoru heard her lean   
back against the door for a long moment before heading off down   
the hallway.  
  
Mamoru shook his head and sighed. Well at least he could   
use today to get rid of her. Cold looked like it would work with   
perhaps a slight tinge of mockery thrown in. He'd have to be   
careful though that his mother didn't find out.  
  
The pains of being attractive yet unattracted to any member   
of the opposite sex. Not, of course, that he was attracted to   
members of the same sex.  
  
Mamoru threw on a shirt and pants and combed his hair   
before going to see if he could find breakfast. Spending the day   
with Kurumi would be bad enough on a full stomach, he didn't even   
want to think about it without one.  
  
==========  
  
The sun was shining brightly, birds were singing and   
somewhere Mamoru could hear the screams of monkeys. Kurumi   
walked happily next to him, an ice cream cone held in one of her   
hands and Mamoru's arm in the other.  
  
"This is so great. Thanks for inviting me, Mamoru-san, I've   
always liked the zoo."   
  
Mamoru looked down at her disgustedly. How could she be so   
cheerful? And nothing he had done had made her lose heart.   
There had been a couple of times when he had seen her expression   
fall into despair but then she had rallied. He sighed. It   
looked like this would end up with him just telling her straight   
out to go away.  
  
Fortunately they had almost been around the entire zoo   
which meant he could now take her home and forget all about her.  
  
Unfortunately Motoki and Reika were also at the zoo.  
  
"Hey, Mamoru-kun! What are you doing here?" Motoki   
clapped a hand on Mamoru's shoulder and practically yelled in his   
ear.  
  
Mamoru raised an eyebrow. "I should think that would be   
obvious. I'm visiting the zoo."  
  
Motoki laughed and looked down at his companion. "Hey!   
You're that girl I met the other day at Mamoru's place." He sent   
a confused glance up at Mamoru.  
  
Kurumi blushed furiously remembering what she had been   
doing when he had seen her.  
  
"Ohaiyo, Mamoru-san."  
  
"Ohaiyo, Reika-san."  
  
"I thought you said you weren't interested in..." Motoki   
stopped before going any further as he realised just how tactless   
that statement, if completed, would be.  
  
"I'm not."   
  
"So what are the two of you doing here?" Reika asked as   
she worked out what those two statements had been about and hoped   
that Kurumi had been too busy being embarrassed to work it out   
for herself.  
  
"Visiting."  
  
"So are we. Reika-chan dragged me along 'cause there's   
this bug exhibition she wanted to see." Motoki made a face.  
  
"You did?" Kurumi spoke up for the first time, her eyes   
wide as she stared at Reika. She herself shivered each time she   
saw a bug and had waited outside while Mamoru had gone into the   
bug exhibit. She had spent half an hour wondering what anyone   
saw in them until Mamoru finally came out. She didn't think the   
exhibit would have been that big or that Mamoru would have been   
interested enough to spend all that time there but if he had   
friends who were interested in them maybe that's why he'd spent   
so long in there.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Reika-chan's an entomologist. She _loves_ bugs."  
  
"Well, they're really very interesting animals. And sooo   
cute," Reika giggled as Kurumi sent her an aghast look and Mamoru   
and Motoki glanced at each other with raised eyebrows before   
shrugging.   
  
"By the way, Mamoru-san, are you going to introduce us to   
your friend?"  
  
"Oh, right. This is Honjo Kurumi. Kurumi-chan, this is   
Furuhata Motoki and Ginga Reika."  
  
The three bowed to each other.  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Kurumi-chan."  
  
"Ah, you too, Ginga-san."  
  
Reika smiled. "Call me Reika."  
  
Kurumi nodded. "Reika-san."  
  
"And although we weren't introduced last time it's nice to   
meet again, Kurumi-chan." Motoki smiled at her and she blushed.  
  
"H-hai, Furuhata-san."  
  
"If you can call her Reika, you can call me Motoki."   
  
Kurumi nodded shyly and they all turned back to Mamoru who   
was staring at something across the other side of the exhibit   
they were standing next to.  
  
"Mamoru-kun? Mamoru?"  
  
Mamoru turned his head back towards Motoki. "Hunh?"  
  
"What were you looking at?"  
  
Mamoru frowned slightly, "I'm not sure." A flash of gold   
caught his eye and his heart leapt, "Wait here will you."  
  
Without waiting for an answer Mamoru took off running   
quickly past the pits and cages full of prowling animals and   
happy families.   
  
His heart was beating faster than the run warranted   
but... but that girl, her profile looked like the princess'. He   
picked up his speed and rounded the corner and stopped looking   
around the area wildly searching for the person he had glimpsed.   
  
Children's laughter echoed in his ears and the gaudy   
colours of their clothing jarred in Mamoru's eyes as he searched   
desperately but there was no one there. She had gone.   
  
Mamoru bowed his head and drew in a deep breath and let it   
out again slowly. He drew his hand down his face. He stood   
irresolute for a few moments then turned and walked slowly back   
to his friends and self-styled date.   
  
==========  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Tuxedo Kamen whirled around at the shout but saw nothing   
until two figures seemingly dropped from the sky to land directly   
in front of him. He took an involuntary step backwards then   
steadied himself and looked at Sailor's Uranus and Neptune   
impassively through his mask.  
  
Neptune began to prowl around him as Uranus kept her gaze   
locked on his. Tuxedo Kamen's eyes glinted. He wasn't about to   
let himself be intimidated by a couple of the bickering Senshi,   
especially not when that seemed to be exactly what they wanted.   
Neptune stopped in a position at the corner of his eyes and then   
Uranus opened her mouth to speak.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
Tuxedo Kamen allowed his lips to curve upwards, "Hmm. I   
wondered why you and the Inners didn't get along very well.   
Obviously it's because you're so similar. I am Tuxedo Kamen."   
He took in the flash of anger that passed through Uranus' dark   
blue eyes and the sudden abortive movement of Neptune towards him   
before she controlled herself. His grin widened.  
  
"_What_ are you? I don't really care what your name is."  
  
"Yes, very similar," Tuxedo Kamen murmured. "Just a person   
who happens to wear a mask and runs around the city for no   
particular reason."  
  
Uranus' eyes narrowed.  
  
"Where is the Princess?"  
  
His head swung around to look at Neptune, the smug look on   
his face disappearing. His eyes searched hers for a long minute   
before he collected himself. "Princess?"  
  
"Mm. And don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking   
about because you obviously do." Neptune took a step closer and   
gave him a look that said quite clearly 'Tell me, or else.'  
  
The trio stood in silence as Tuxedo Kamen considered his   
answer and finally spoke. "I know there _is_ a Princess. But as   
to whether she is the same princess you're looking for or where   
she is, I don't know."  
  
The two Outer Senshi looked at each other and Neptune gave   
an almost invisible nod of her head. Then they spun around and   
leapt off the building leaving a parting statement, half-promise,   
half-threat and Tuxedo Kamen stood unmoving for a few moments, a   
thoughtful look in his shadowed eyes before he too left the   
vicinity.   
  
==========  
  
Mamoru dreamed again that night when he finally managed to   
fall asleep but this dream was different. There was no princess   
in this one, no sense of urgency, just power.  
  
He found himself sitting in a cavern, with a sphere of   
light hovering in midair, shining off the damp walls and drops of   
water falling from the roof to hit the floor. As they hit small   
crystal sounds echoed through the shadows around the edge of the   
cavern, rebounding back, again and again. He listened to the   
resulting symphony that washed through the centre of the room   
causing tiny silver waves to form on the black water of a pool   
that sat directly under the hovering light.  
  
He looked across the pool at the figure on the other side   
and waited for...something. He had been called here to this   
place by the small white-haired lady and had come, unsure why he   
was here and nervous to be in the presence of such a legendary   
figure. Light glinted off the golden tiara that sat on her   
forehead as she lifted her head to look at him. Her lips moved   
but he could hear nothing. He watched her lips and there were   
times when he could hear what she was saying but the words made   
no sense.   
  
The lips stopped moving and he looked up in surprise to   
find his eyes captured by sharp, brown eyes, which told of a life   
long and hard. A spark of power burst from those eyes, lanced   
the short distance across the black pool and came to hover in   
front of him. Still unsure, his eyes left the light and saw the   
lady gesturing for him to look into the pool.   
  
He did and was drawn into a whirlpool, falling, falling   
until there was nothing except the darkness surrounding him,   
suffocating him and filling him, threatening to explode and merge   
so all would be black until he didn't exist and only he existed,   
falling...   
  
Then, abruptly, his descent stopped...  
  
==========  
  
The fire flickered and sparked within the confines of the   
wood it did not burn. A lick of fire danced upwards, curling   
towards the ceiling of the room set aside for it, empty of all   
furniture. A young woman knelt in front of the wooden grate with   
her hands held before her, index fingers pointing in the same   
direction as the flame. A low chant came from her throat as she   
called on the Sacred Flame and Mars to give her some insight into   
the new player.  
  
Hino Rei had vaguely felt his presence at times over the   
past two years but he had never revealed himself before, this   
masked man who wore a tuxedo. If he was an enemy, he was a   
clever and cautious one, having avoided their attention for so   
long, but she didn't think he was an enemy. He felt familiar,   
almost as if she had known him in her previous life.   
  
So now she knelt here to find what she could. She   
suspected Mercury was doing the same using that little computer   
of hers. It was strange of her to think a computer could   
discover something the Sacred Fire could not. It might be good   
for analysing information but divination wasn't one of it's   
functions.  
  
Rei's stare went past the surface of the fire as she   
dropped into a light trance. She followed the pathways of rising   
air and burning oxygen, marvelling as always, at the tiny flecks   
of light that indicated the breaking and joining of molecules.   
Then she looked deeper, past the physical to the spiritual. To   
the place in the flame and inside herself where lay the mysteries   
of the universe.  
  
She sent out a question and listened carefully for an   
answer.  
  
A dancing vision of a masked figure dressed in a cape   
appeared silhouetted in the fire. Around the figure, just   
visible against the warm colour of the flames was a very slight   
silver aura.   
  
Another question was sent but no more answers were given.   
The fire kept secrets from her and this was one she was not   
permitted to know at this time. Stubborn though she knew she   
could be, the flame had the patience of millennia and would bide   
it's time until it was ready to divulge what it would, a lesson   
hard-learned since she'd first knelt here so many years ago. The   
Sacred Fire could not be forced.  
  
Rei left the trance and took a deep breath as she re-  
entered the world outside the fire. Turning away from it's   
light, she noticed that while she had been immersed in trance-  
state, darkness had fallen.  
  
Her grandfather stood in the door watching her with a   
frown.  
  
"It's not good to spend that much time in the Fire, Rei-  
chan."  
  
"I-I know, Ojiisan, I hadn't meant to. I'll be more   
careful in future."  
  
The old man nodded. "Good. Your meal is waiting for you."  
  
Rei stood and almost lost her balance as the blood began to   
circulate more freely throughout her limbs. She righted herself   
and followed her grandfather out of the room, respectfully   
sliding the door shut behind her, leaving the flame to fight the   
shadows that came with the night.   
  
As she stepped onto the walkway that led to the kitchen, a   
smile appeared on her face. A silver aura meant the Silver   
Millennium. She had something to work on.  
  
==========  
  
Seiya pulled the microphone closer to his mouth and   
signalled to the soundman behind the window. On an unseen,   
unheard cue, the three musicians in the recording studio began   
the song in tandem. It had always been that way for them, the   
link that came from blood allowing them to move in harmony when   
they wished to.  
  
As Seiya began to sing he felt the chords of energy from   
his brothers gather in the music and sent out his own. He shaped   
the chords with word and song to be recorded and so their message   
would eventually reach it's intended recipient.  
  
"I've always been looking for your sweet smell,  
to convey my voice. (I love you)  
Where are you now? (Moonlight Princess)  
Our Princess  
Answer me right away (Answer for me)  
Answer me gently (Answer for me)"  
  
The energy the three brothers spun held the production crew   
spell-bound, their hearts captured by the unheard message that   
was not meant for them, but somehow they could hear the longing   
behind the words. Seiya almost smiled. Letting these humans be   
here during the recording, the spinning of their magic, was   
dangerous, it could lead to their unmasking. Though the chords   
were subtle they were strong enough to attract attention and   
would be felt if any of these humans had the slightest   
sensitivity to magic.   
  
And even worse would be if one of their enemies was   
somewhere in the vicinity.   
  
The strain of the magical weaving began to make itself   
known as Seiya continued to sing the song written for a Princess.   
The energy kept coming, flowing in streaks of silver and rust   
from his brothers. He tied another knot, twisting a chord into a   
plea for help, a plea for revelation as the lyrics' meaning   
veered off from that of the underlying message.  
  
"Search for your love, crystal of the universe  
Search for your love, don't cry for me  
Search for your love, as a matter of fact  
I love to hold you tightly."  
  
Seiya was sweating now with the effort of keeping the   
energy controlled without breaking off the song. Fortunately it   
was nearing the end. Seiya spun a final question.   
  
"Where are you now? (Moonlight Princess)  
Our Princess  
Answer me right away (Answer for me)  
Answer me gently (Answer for me)"  
  
"Answer me right away (Answer for me)  
Answer me gently (Answer for me)"  
  
The music drifted to silence and Seiya slowly let go of the   
chords of magic, letting them settle into stillness.  
  
"Well done. That was great. A couple more takes tomorrow   
for touch ups and we'll be ready to go. Your album's going to be   
a hit!"  
  
Seiya glanced towards the sound booth and sent a tired   
smile and thumbs up towards their producer. As Yaten came up   
beside him, followed by Taiki, Seiya removed his headphones and   
laid them gently over the microphone that hung from the ceiling.   
A hand was laid on his shoulder as Taiki gave what support he   
could to his exhausted sibling before heading for the studio's   
door.  
  
Taking a taxi back to their apartment the trio was silent,   
each dwelling on the same hope that none of them were willing to   
voice for fear that it would disappear. Looking for a Princess   
they had never met before on a planet with a population of over 5   
billion would not be easy. And convincing her to help three   
strangers from a distant solar system wouldn't be too easy   
either.  
  
==========  
  
Mamoru walked aimlessly down the sidewalk his mind half on   
the concrete beneath his shoes and the other half on the   
Princess, as it always was now. It was as if knowing that the   
time was running out it would not let a second be wasted in   
pursuit of her. Everywhere he went he looked for that glimpse of   
gold that could be her, and every time he spun someone around to   
check if it was, his heart sank a little further. Sometimes he   
wondered if she really existed.  
  
Then he would remember the almost memory-like clarity of   
the dreams and his meeting with the Outer Senshi. She was real,   
she just couldn't be found.  
  
He sighed and looked up to see where his demented musings   
had brought him. He stared up the road that he was sure led to   
nowhere and turned to head back when he came face-to-face with a   
set of stairs that led up to a Shinto shrine.  
  
Ah, the Hikawa Shrine. He pondered for a moment then   
shrugged and took the first step upwards. It wasn't as if he had   
anything better to do and maybe the kami would look upon his   
request for help favourably.  
  
He knelt before the shrine, pulled the red and white rope   
that led to the prayer bell and clasped his hands in front of   
him, ignoring the dreamy sigh from the girl who was kneeling next   
to him. He let his mind wander for a few moments until he heard   
the girl ring the bell and get up from beside him to move away   
from the shrine.  
  
"Hey, you wanna work at my shrine?"  
  
Mamoru opened an eye and turned till he could see what was   
happening out of the corner of one eye.  
  
The notorious shrine priest appeared in front of the girl   
who gave a small shriek and lifted her hand to her breast,   
letting out a slow breath. She shook her head wildly and began   
inching her way past the tiny man who regretfully let her go.  
  
Mamoru turned back to his shrine and sent a whispered   
prayer out to whoever was listening.  
  
"Please, let me find my princess before it's too late."  
  
He remained in position for a little longer to convince   
whoever was watching of his sincerity then levered himself to his   
feet. As he turned, someone screamed. A shot could be heard and   
Mamoru turned to find one of the shrine's worshippers falling   
unconscious to the ground, a sparkling heart crystal arcing   
through the air to fall to the ground. He saw the dark-haired   
shrine maiden run off and he sighed. A redhead carrying a gun   
headed across the courtyard towards the crystal. Mamoru felt a   
twinge of conscience and sighed again, shifting into his tuxedo   
with a thought.  
  
"The pure hearts of those who believe in a higher power   
shouldn't go to something that doesn't! I am Bishoujo Senshi   
Sailor Mars and in the name of the planet Mars, I will punish   
you!"  
  
Tuxedo Kamen shook his head. Those delaying tactics were   
getting old, the Senshi were lucky anyone or anything actually   
stood still for them anymore. A rose materialised in his hand   
and he fired it across the space between himself and the woman   
who he had heard referred to as Eudial by the Senshi.   
  
The rose struck her hand and the gun fell from it as she   
swung around with a cry of pain. She saw Mars and powered up her   
attack.  
  
"WITCHY EUDIAL FIRE BUSTER!"  
  
Mars dodged to the side allowing the blast of energy to fly   
past her as she called up her own powers in answer.  
  
"BURNING MANDALA!"  
  
The three other Inner Senshi arrived as Eudial blocked the   
attack. They went immediately into magical girl poses and were   
about to begin spouting speeches when a daimon appeared.   
  
"Get them!" Eudial shouted pointing at the fuku-clad   
Senshi before she headed back towards the crystal.  
  
Unfortunately for her the Outer Senshi had managed to get   
there first after having appeared out of nowhere. They grabbed   
the crystal and left, heading into the trees that bordered the   
courtyard, a Eudial flushed in anger heading after them.  
  
A battle had begun between the Senshi and the daimon and it   
was one that the Senshi would win so Tuxedo Kamen decided to   
follow the crystal. He ran past the staggering daimon and leapt   
into the trees, bounding from branch to branch as he struggled to   
keep Eudial in view.  
  
She came to a small clearing and stopped to watch Sailor's   
Uranus and Neptune as they stood looking down at the crystal in   
disgust.   
  
"It's not one of the Talismans."  
  
"No." The two looked at each other and Neptune nodded in   
answer to a query in her partner's eyes.  
  
Eudial headed back towards the shrine, not bothering to try   
and confirm the Senshi's statement. She knew as well as anyone   
involved in this that the Outer Senshi were willing to do   
anything to get their hands on the Talismans, so if they said   
that wasn't one of them you could be sure it wasn't.   
  
Neptune held the crystal more carefully as they followed   
Eudial back through the trees, though they didn't seem to notice   
her.  
  
Interesting, they were going to return the heart crystal.   
They obviously weren't as cold-hearted as they seemed.  
  
Tuxedo Kamen shrugged out of his Tuxedo and jumped to the   
ground to begin the trip back to home for lunch. Or maybe he'd   
stop in at the Crown Fruit Parlour to visit Motoki. He ran his   
hand through his hair and sighed. Decisions.  
  
==========  
  
Makoto wandered around the park, bored. She had been   
planning to attend the Three Lights autograph signing in the   
park, which was why she was there, but had changed her mind when   
she caught a glimpse of the crowd. The idol group would only be   
there for a short while so there was no way everyone would get an   
autograph.   
  
Besides she already had each of their autographs since they   
went to Juuban High School, the same as her.   
  
She went to the railing bordering the pond, leaned against   
it with her face turned up to the sky, and wondered what she   
would do now. She was tempted to call Ami, but she was probably   
studying, as usual, and Makoto really didn't know her well enough   
to intrude on that. And the only other person she could call and   
ask to hang out would be her best friend, Shinozaki, but he lived   
too far away.  
  
Looking across at the crowds again she let her eyes roam at   
will, occasionally picking out a cute guy, most of whom were   
standing well to the back of the group, and debated briefly on   
whether to introduce herself. She shrugged off the thought and   
went back to her contemplation of the sky. She just didn't feel   
like keeping up the pretence today, and since no one was there to   
notice she didn't have to.  
  
Swiping a stem of grass from one of the overgrown clumps   
the gardener had somehow missed, she stuck it in her mouth,   
chewing absently on the end. It would be great if a daimon   
attacked just now. At least then she'd have something to do.  
  
Unfortunately, attacks occurred every few days, _never_   
twice in one day. Still, she could dream.  
  
And sometimes, just sometimes, dreams even came true.  
  
A scream issued from the crowd around the Three Lights as a   
daimon grabbed one of the cuter guys she had noticed previously.   
Eudial, standing nearby, shot the guy and a heart crystal popped   
out of his chest. The witch looked at it and shook her head,   
tossing it onto the ground beside her victim as she aimed her gun   
at the next victim her daimon had managed to grab.   
  
The crowd began to panic, people beginning to run in all   
directions, generally away from the fighting. Those few who   
stayed in an attempt to be heroic found themselves facing a trio   
of daimons that sprang up amongst the milling crowds, causing   
more chaos. More often than not, the heroic became victims   
themselves.  
  
Makoto shook off the stupor caused by the change of tactics   
and looked around to see if she was observed before holding her   
transformation pen aloft.  
  
"JUPITER STAR POWER, MAKE-UP!"  
  
A flash of green light and Sailor Jupiter was running   
towards the churning crowd, her communicator held to her mouth as   
she called the other Senshi.  
  
She ran into the streams of people and forced herself   
through the mass, running against the current, stopping every few   
seconds to get her bearings.   
  
Suddenly she burst through the invisible line that marked   
the end of the crowds and found herself in the perfect position   
to get a clear shot at Eudial. Crossing her arms in front of her   
chest the powers Jupiter had granted her began to flow through   
her body. Static electricity raised the fine hairs on her arms   
and sent her ponytail into disarray.  
  
"SPARKLING..."  
  
The electricity poured down her arms and gathered in her   
palms.  
  
"WIDE..."  
  
She drew her hands to the side.  
  
"PRESSURE!"  
  
She sent her hands forward and the ball of electricity went   
flying towards Eudial.  
  
"STAR SERIOUS LASER!"  
  
A second attack swept through the park towards Eudial who   
looked around, an expression of horror growing on her face as she   
saw both energy attacks converge. Taking a quick step backwards,   
she disappeared in a sparkle of light, leaving the two bolts of   
energy to combine from two different directions and continue on   
to gouge a path of destruction through the trees unlucky enough   
to be in it's way.  
  
Sailor Jupiter ignored the proof that pointed to a new   
player in this game she played and sprinted to where the victims   
lay unconscious, their heart crystals tossed carelessly next to   
them.  
  
She picked one up and was momentarily diverted when the   
sunlight struck the crystal, bringing out the amazing amethyst   
colour in it's depths. Shaking off the hypnotic effects, she   
placed it on the chest of it's owner and watched as it dissolved   
back into his chest.  
  
"What's going on?" A voice spoke behind her and she looked   
up to see a trio of scantily clad women in leather watching her   
in puzzlement.  
  
The one with silver hair and cat-like green eyes nodded and   
sent another few questions her way. "Yeah, who was that and what   
was she doing? And for that matter, who are you?"  
  
Jupiter moved on to the next victim as she began talking,   
wanting to restore the heart crystals as fast as possible.  
  
"That was the witch Eudial, she's trying to get people's   
heart crystals. And I am Sailor Jupiter and I'm one of those   
trying to stop her..."  
  
"And I am Sailor Mars, another of those trying to stop her.   
Who are you?" The red-clad Senshi asked, her arms crossed over   
her breast, having arrived in time to hear the conversation. At   
her side stood Sailor's Venus and Mercury, each of them watching   
the trio suspiciously.  
  
"I am Sailor StarFighter, this is Sailor StarHealer and   
this is Sailor StarMaker." The black-haired StarLight pushed a   
stray curl of hair behind her ear and shrugged. "We are the   
Sailor StarLights."  
  
"Sailor StarLights? Okay then, _what_ are you doing here?"  
  
"That is our business." StarMaker snapped before stepping   
forward to whisper to StarFighter.   
  
She nodded and the three turned and left, leaping away and   
disappearing into one of the stands of trees that was intact.   
The Sailor Senshi stared after them. Another enemy? Or possible   
allies? They would have to wait and see.   
  
==========  
  
Stopping within the confines of the trees, the Sailor   
StarLights faced each other.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"I don't know. Sailor Senshi I can believe, but what's   
with this heart crystal thing?" StarHealer asked.  
  
"Heart Crystals. I... think I've heard of them." StarMaker   
stood in contemplative silence and tried to recall what she had   
heard until an impatient StarHealer whacked her on the shoulder.  
  
"Well, come on. What?"  
  
"Weeelll, if I remember rightly, if a heart crystal is pure   
enough, if it is empty enough of things like hate and envy and   
all those negative emotions, then there is room for other things   
to be stored in them. Most of those things were items of power   
and they were stored within the heart crystals. To keep them   
safe from the Hands of Evil, I suppose."  
  
Her two companions mulled this over for a few moments.  
  
"So that probably means that... that Eudial that Sailor   
Jupiter was telling us about is evil? And that she's looking for   
one of these items of power?"  
  
"Most likely."  
  
"I doesn't matter," StarFighter spoke and looked up at the   
other two. "It doesn't matter what she's looking for. We have   
_one_ job to do and we can't get sidetracked fighting battles   
that _this_ planet's Senshi should be fighting. We're here to   
find the Princess and until we do, nothing else matters."  
  
StarMaker and StarHealer nodded their heads slowly in   
agreement before they all turned to walk out of the park, their   
resolve restored to it's rightful place once more.  
  
==========  
  
A rustling came from behind one of the bushes close to   
where the StarLights had been talking and StarFighter turned her   
head briefly to investigate before taking a few quick steps to   
catch up to the other two and moving out of the range of sight.  
  
Sailor Uranus let out a breath and stood, berating herself   
for having moved before it was time. She turned her head and   
looked at her partner who was rising to stand beside her, her   
gaze still fastened on the spot where the leather-clad trio had   
disappeared.  
  
"So, the StarLights have finally met the Inners."  
  
"And won't interfere."  
  
"They're looking for the Princess."  
  
Neptune turned her troubled, blue eyes upwards. "Yes, but   
is it _our_ Princess or another?"  
  
"I suppose we'll find out when the Princess is found. I   
expect, however, that it is our Princess. Everyone else seems to   
be looking for her, so why not the StarLights as well?"  
  
The two Outer Senshi let their transformations dissolve and   
began to stroll through the park, heading in the general   
direction of the gates.  
  
"I'll tell you one thing though, Michiru-chan. They were   
right about Eudial looking for one of those items of power. She,   
like us, still hasn't found any of the Talisman's."  
  
==========  
  
Eudial stepped into the Tomoe Mansion's basement laboratory   
and made her way to where the Professor would be working on his   
daimons. She walked confidently, trying to ignore the snicker   
that came from the side as Mimete watched her head past. The   
blonde witch was next in line for Eudial's position and was   
looking forward to the death that would clear the way for her.   
Eudial, however, was determined not to die and she had a plan   
that should tell them exactly who had the three Talismans.  
  
She stepped into the Professor's line of sight and stopped,   
frowning, as she noticed he was not alone.   
  
A tall woman dressed in a stylised, metallic Senshi uniform   
stood in front of him, a smirk gracing her beautiful face.   
Professor Tomoe was nodding.  
  
Eudial stalked up.  
  
"Who are you?" She stopped beside the Professor and glared   
at the woman.  
  
A languid hand made a dismissing motion and the sienna eyes   
flashed in amusement. "I am called Sailor Galaxia. And you,   
Eudial, shall be working for me from now on and it shall be Chaos   
not Silence that we, all of us, strive for."  
  
Galaxia's lips rose in a sweet smile as she captured   
Eudial's eyes. The red-haired witch gasped and tried to break   
the eye contact, but Galaxia did not release her until _she_ was   
ready, and when Eudial finally looked away, she found Galaxia   
surrounded by a group of Senshi, none of whom wore what she   
considered to be the typical uniform. She took a step backwards   
and looked again towards Galaxia, understanding appearing in her   
eyes; she wasn't stupid.  
  
Galaxia's smile remained in place as she held out her   
hands, indicating that Eudial should place hers within them. The   
witch stepped forward and shivered as her skin came into contact   
with the other woman. She gasped as two golden bracelets   
appeared about her wrists, both engraved with a red-gold star.   
Power moved through her in quantities she had only dreamt of, yet   
she could sense that it was only lent to her, Galaxia channelling   
it to her through the bracelets that were proof of her change in   
loyalty.  
  
She nodded to Galaxia who released her wrists, allowing her   
to step backwards. A flash in the Senshi's palms caught her eye   
and she looked down to see a small dark red, hexagonal crystal   
sitting in her palms. She looked up.  
  
"Your StarSeed. Without it you cannot live, unless you   
wear my bracelets."  
  
Anger, quickly smothered poured through Eudial's veins and   
she clenched her hands, fighting not to lunge for what was hers.   
She knew Sailor Galaxia could kill her if she so chose and would,   
were she not to agree to this exchange. She bowed her head in   
acquiescence and relaxed.  
  
At the very least, she hoped Mimete would put up a fight   
resulting in her being obliterated. Inwardly she smiled at the   
thought, complaisance restored.  
  
"Good. You are wise not to fight it. How many of your   
colleagues will prove as wise, I wonder?"   
  
The Golden Senshi's smile became a smirk as she motioned   
her subordinates to move through the mansion and collect all of   
it's occupants so they could come and greet their new mistress.  
  
==========  
  
Mamoru leaned against the table, a small cup of coffee   
teaming in front of him as he waited for Motoki to finish with   
the latest customer. As soon as he did he was finished with work   
for the day and the two of them were heading for the virtual   
reality centre for the evening.  
  
Reika was off at some lecture and Mamoru had needed an   
excuse not to see Kurumi. At least his mother was finally   
getting the message that he wasn't interested, even if Kurumi was   
still a little lost. And Motoki had finally stopped teasing him   
about the trip to the zoo, though he still hadn't stopped asking   
about why Mamoru had run off the way he had.  
  
Mamoru sighed and ran a hand through his hair, not noticing   
the admiring glances being sent his way by the female occupants   
of the Crown Fruit Parlour.  
  
It was all he could do not to cry when he thought about the   
Princess these days. He hadn't dreamt about her for a week, his   
dreams now being full of the cave, the old woman and the   
sensation of falling. Did that mean she was gone? That it was   
already too late?   
  
He rested his elbows on the table and his forehead against   
his palms, digging his fingers into his scalp as a distraction   
from his increasingly hopeless thoughts.  
  
He jumped when Motoki slapped him on the shoulder, glaring   
up at his cheerful friend before standing. Motoki had taken off   
the apron that was his uniform and stood ready to head off.   
  
Mamoru stood and, shrugging at Motoki's vaguely questioning   
glance, headed out of the building, his sandy-haired friend   
tagging along behind.  
  
"What's up, Mamoru-kun?"  
  
"Hunh? Oh, nothing."  
  
After a few seconds of pregnant silence, Mamoru turned his   
face towards Motoki and raised an eyebrow, "What?"  
  
"I wanna know what's wrong? And don't tell me nothing.   
We've been friends long enough for me to know it's something.   
And it's been going on for a while now. So what's up?"  
  
His friend was more observant than he'd given him credit   
for, but he couldn't tell him. He'd either be considered crazy,   
which he probably did already, come to think of it, or Motoki   
would take it as a sign he needed a girlfriend and do more about   
it than he already was.  
  
"It's not something I want to talk about. I don't think   
it's something I _can_ talk about, so just leave it, okay?"  
  
Green eyes weighed his words then reluctantly agreed to his   
wishes though the concern within them grew.   
  
==========  
  
Tellu paced the office she shared with her fellow Witches   
and frowned at the other group that had just moved in. The   
Sailor Animates, they called themselves, and each of them wore   
bracelets similar to her own and a variation on the Sailor Senshi   
uniform.  
  
Ever since they'd arrived both privacy and space had become   
rarer and more valuable. To her at least. She'd always   
appreciated the chance to get away from it all and think,   
something that was almost impossible, what with the noisy   
additions to the room.  
  
Sailor Iron Mouse was skimming through a magazine she had   
stolen from Mimete's desk, not that the blonde would need it   
anymore. Her body, it's StarSeed gone, now lay somewhere in   
Professor Tomoe's underground laboratory with the remains of the   
daimon project and the things they had gathered for the coming   
Silence.  
  
An event that looked less and less likely to occur the   
longer Queen Galaxia held sway here. Already, Eudial had been   
sent out with Iron Mouse to begin learning what she needed for   
their revised mission.  
  
It didn't surprise Tellu that Eudial had switched sides   
with such ease, her conscience not bothering her in the least.   
The redhead had been interested in survival over and above her   
desire for power. With the coming of Galaxia and her turning,   
she would retain her status and what power she could, now that   
they were all essentially slaves to Galaxia's will.  
  
Eudial had also been one of the more intelligent members of   
the almost-team. Tellu knew she was _the_ most intelligent, but   
she could appreciate the same traits in others and it was   
definitely a trait Mimete had lacked. She just hadn't realised,   
in time, that Galaxia was a trifle too powerful for her, for any   
of them, to handle.  
  
"Would you like some tea, Tellu-san?"  
  
Tellu looked up at Sailor Aluminium Siren who was holding   
out a steaming porcelain cup, her smile as sweet and vacant as   
ever.  
  
Taking the cup from Aluminium Siren with a nod of thanks,   
Tellu considered the blue-haired Sailor Senshi, wondering how she   
managed to retain her sanity when she was ordered to collect   
heart crystals. She didn't seem like the sort of person who   
would take something from someone if it meant their lives would   
end.  
  
Tellu paused, the cup half-way to her mouth as she recalled   
what she had just thought.   
  
Sanity.  
  
Come to think of it, there was nothing to indicate the   
lovely Senshi had anything left upstairs at all.  
  
Ah well.  
  
The phone on Tellu's desk rang. Picking it up, she heard   
the pleasant voice of her new mistress echoing through the wires.  
  
Tellu, Come.  
  
A dial tone sounded and Tellu blinked before hanging up   
slowly. A summons was not something one generally wanted to be   
at the end of, especially when it was that abrupt. Tellu stood   
up and swallowed the last of the tea from her cup. She walked   
thoughtfully to the door and down the corridor to the broom   
closet that had been converted into a dimensional portal, leading   
to Galaxia's lair.  
  
Closing the door behind her, a light flashed brightly and   
the next thing she knew she was standing before Galaxia's smokey,   
crystalline throne, watching the golden woman's fingers tapping a   
slow rhythm against the armrest.  
  
==========  



	2. Part Two

==========================================================  
  
Chikyuu no Senshi  
Part Two  
A Sailormoon Alternate Reality Story  
By Sefilin (aka Lei)   
  
===========================================================  
  
Motoki laughed as he managed to tag a couple more youma, on   
his way to defeating Mamoru for the first time in VR. And they   
played often enough for a victory to be important to Motoki, even   
if he knew his opponent was distracted.  
  
The sandy-haired doctor-in-training had been topped by his   
friend in pretty much everything. School, girls, looks... the   
only thing he didn't have was Motoki's easy ability to make   
friends or a long-term girlfriend. But even though there were   
times when Motoki found himself almost green with envy - like the   
time when Reika had seemed interested in Mamoru - he wasn't the   
type of person to let it bother him for long.  
  
Mamoru was the type of person who came across as cold as   
ice to start with. It was only when you managed to get past that   
that you realised he was the type who would do anything for his   
friends. Even more so for those he loved. So Motoki put up with   
Mamoru's obvious superiority in exchange for something more   
precious than mere achievement or intelligence.   
  
And Motoki knew he provided something Mamoru needed. He   
was a friend, the only one Mamoru had that accepted him as he   
was, without expectations.   
  
But that didn't stop him from worrying about his friend and   
whatever it was that was going on with Mamoru at the moment   
worried him.  
  
He'd be inclined to call it girl trouble if he didn't know   
better, but after all, Mamoru had shown no interest in anyone.  
  
Motoki snapped out of his musings with a surprised yelp as   
another holographic youma appeared in his face. It disappeared a   
second later when Mamoru shot it, tapping him lightly on the back   
of the head.  
  
"If you want to beat me, you're going to have to   
concentrate harder than that."  
  
"Uh, right," Motoki smiled ruefully and extended his focus   
outwards, waiting for the next youma to appear and putting his   
concern on hold until after he'd beaten Mamoru.  
  
Unfortunately for his ambition, a daimon chose that moment   
to appear in the room that they were in. The other few people in   
the same room had drawn their attention to it with screams that   
were far too real to be a recording.  
  
For a second he froze, unsure what to do, he'd never been   
involved in any sort of attack before. Reika had told him all   
about what had happened to her when she'd somehow gotten   
involved, even though she herself hadn't understood it, but he'd   
never gotten closer than that.  
  
Mamoru on the other hand hadn't hesitated. Within seconds   
of hearing the disturbance he was right in there trying to kick   
the daimon's butt. And doing a surprisingly good job.  
  
Motoki knew his friend was into martial arts but hadn't   
thought he was good enough to take on a daimon.   
  
The daimon chose that second to send Mamoru flying   
backwards with a sweep of it's arm.  
  
Still frozen, Motoki watched as two people appeared in the   
room, one a green-haired woman wearing a black, her arms and neck   
encircled by black threads and her hair bound by the same. A   
black star completed the outfit, situated as it was in the hollow   
of her neck.  
  
The other woman was dressed in what looked a little like a   
Sailor fuku in that it had a sailor-style collar. But whereas   
all of the Senshi he knew of wore almost identical costumes, this   
one was a little... strange. Even cuter than the usual fuku, if   
that could be believed.  
  
The silver ringlets on either side of her head and what   
looked like some sort of pyjamas he'd seen on television once,   
both added up to the weirdest looking outfit he'd ever seen.   
Well, there was that thing that Tenchi wore in Tenchi Muyo!, but   
still, this was real life.  
  
The green-haired woman moved towards one of the other   
gamers and, grabbing her, held on until the little Senshi was   
ready. Once again sending Mamoru flying backwards she turned   
towards her victim and crossing her wrists, two lights shot from   
the braces and hit the chosen victim. A little flowery-thing   
bloomed on her forehead and a small glowing crystal was revealed   
within the folds of the petals.  
  
The Senshi stood back and watched until the crystal   
darkened, the light it had shed disappearing.   
  
"Not a proper StarSeed," the shorter of the two women   
spoke, sounding both disgusted and disappointed.  
  
"Then you'll just have to find one somewhere else, Iron   
Mouse-san."  
  
The green-haired woman followed the small Sailor Senshi   
into a phone booth that appeared out of nowhere, leaving the   
victim enveloped in a column of light.  
  
When the light cleared an even stranger Sailor stood in the   
room.  
  
"V.R!... V.R!"  
  
At this point in time, Motoki was seriously considering   
leaving. He wasn't a hero and didn't pretend to be. But it   
looked as though Mamoru was going to stay and fight and he didn't   
abandon his friends.  
  
The newly revealed Sailor V.R. mumbled something about   
reality and imagination, nothing Motoki was all that interested   
in hearing so he scanned the room to see if there was anything he   
could do to help. Instead he saw Sailor V.R. attacking the other   
patrons who had hung around. Frowning he looked further but   
found nothing that wasn't nailed down.   
  
He turned his attention back to the fight and once more saw   
Mamoru attack followed by him being repelled. Motoki took a deep   
breath and followed his friend in the next time, wishing he'd   
taken those martial arts lessons his uncle had offered. Respect   
for life was all very well, but in a situation like this that   
meant being willing and able to fight.  
  
He attacked Sailor V.R.'s flank, managing to hit it before   
he noticed it's arm flying towards his face. He turned to one   
side and felt it's forearm connect with the side of his head.   
The next thing he knew, he was lying, crumpled on the floor,   
having made painful contact with the wall.   
  
Mamoru was bent over him, blue eyes concerned.  
  
"Motoki? Daijobu?"  
  
The blonde groaned and tried to smile at his friend, "I'll   
be okay. Heh, maybe I should join up for karate lessons after   
this, eh?"  
  
Mamoru smiled, then a strange expression crossed his face   
in time with Motoki's wince at a twinge in his back. Blue eyes   
caught green and Motoki couldn't look away as Mamoru seemed to   
weigh him for worthiness.  
  
Then Mamoru smiled and turned back to the strange Senshi.   
Motoki blinked in confusion then watched as his friends clothes   
_changed_ and a masked man in a tuxedo stood in his place. A few   
roses materialised in his hand as he made a motion such as one   
does when one throws darts.   
  
The roses cut through the air and hit the Daimon and Sailor   
V.R., attracting their attention.  
  
Then Mamoru, in mask and cape, flipped over his two   
opponents and a cane appeared in his hand.  
  
Motoki felt his brow furrow a little as his vision became   
blurred, not understanding what was going on. He tried to clear   
his vision but instead found his hearing had worsened and slowly   
but surely the rest of his body was shutting down. The last   
thought he had before slipping into unconsciousness was that   
Mamoru had a _lot_ of explaining to do when they got out of this.   
  
==========  
  
Tuxedo Kamen swept his extended cane across the legs of the   
two creatures he was fighting, knowing he had to keep them away   
from the people in the room, most of whom were already   
unconscious and unable to help themselves.  
  
He'd been glad of that. He didn't think he could've bought   
himself to transform if they'd all been able to see him, but in   
the end only Motoki and a single other man had been in any   
position to see him. And it had been Motoki, watching him with   
pain-filled green eyes that had finally decided him and he'd   
transformed.   
  
Sighing to himself he found himself wishing that the Sailor   
Senshi were there considering they had powers that could more   
easily defeat the daimons and Sailor's such as he was currently   
fighting. He dodged a wild swing from Sailor V.R. while keeping   
a wary eye on the daimon that was in the process of sneaking   
around behind him.  
  
It was at times like this that he wished he was a Sailor   
Senshi, or something similar, since he had no particular interest   
in being a magical _girl_, per se.   
  
~Flash~  
  
Tuxedo Kamen staggered back a little, a gloved hand lifting   
halfway to his forehead. He shook his head, disoriented, and   
barely managed to dodge the next attack by the daimon.  
  
~Flash~  
  
//Darkness//   
  
//Dripping Water//  
  
//A hovering globe of light and sharp brown eyes//  
  
//Falling...//  
  
~Flash~  
  
His breath left him with a whoosh as the strobe of light   
that had emitted from Sailor V.R.'s hand-held gun, almost   
identical to the one's he and Motoki had been playing with   
earlier. He hit the wall next to his friend and groaned a   
little, painfully.   
  
What was that?  
  
It reminded him of the dream, but why? Why was it   
interfering now, in the middle of the day at a time when the   
smallest distraction could mean death?  
  
Tuxedo Kamen pulled himself upright, his sight focussing on   
his opponents once again as he once more prepared himself for   
battle.  
  
"VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"  
  
"BURNING MANDALA!"  
  
A glowing line of burning red-gold hearts encircled the   
chest of the daimon, setting it on fire.   
  
"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"  
  
Then a globe of lightning joined the flames, reducing the   
daimon to nothing.  
  
Tuxedo Kamen took in the four Sailor Senshi now standing   
openly in the room and the two hiding behind some of the rooms   
props and allowed himself to collapse back to the floor. He   
leaned his head back against the wall and let out a deep breath.  
  
He found himself smiling as he rolled his head to look at   
his friend who was still unconscious then turned back to the   
battle.  
  
Though the daimon was already vanquished, proving that the   
Inner Senshi could actually work together when necessary, Sailor   
V.R. was different. They found it more difficult to deal with   
the Sailor Farce who obviously had more independent thought than   
the daimons.  
  
They'd tried the same tactic they'd used on the daimon   
without success and followed using a number of different attack   
combinations. Those didn't work either.  
  
Frustrated with their inability to do any damage, Sailor   
Mercury had once more taken a stance at the edge of the combat   
and was busy analysing stuff on her computer, an expression of   
determination on her face.  
  
The masked man watched her closely as her fingers flew   
across the keypad and her eyes roamed across the screen. He   
found himself reluctantly moved by her determination and by her   
fellow Senshi's perseverance. It was obvious by now that they   
could not win yet they were still fighting. And they'd taken to   
helping customers out of the room.  
  
~Flash~  
  
//Falling...//  
  
~Flash~  
  
Once more disoriented, Tuxedo Kamen turned his attention   
away from the fight and looked inwards, searching for the cause   
of these flashes.  
  
~Flash~  
  
//He found himself in the cave of his dreams, once more   
sitting across from the small, wrinkled woman, who's eyes   
still contained so much energy. Her lips moved and slowly,   
slowly, he began to hear them//  
  
//"Feel it, Prince. The Power that lies beneath you.   
Feel it, embrace it. It is yours."//  
  
//Light flashed off her tiara as she bowed her head, her   
eyes sliding shut and he followed suit//  
  
//And the sensation of falling, diving endlessly into   
still darkness, then further into heat and constant   
movement and then...//  
  
//Then into Power and a Consciousness that was not his   
own//  
  
~Flash~  
  
When Tuxedo Kamen once more returned to himself, he could   
feel that something had changed within himself. The Power that   
he had felt deep within the planet he sat on was now within him   
also. And the Consciousness was there, silently watching and   
listening.  
  
And he smiled.  
  
==========  
  
Sailor Mercury kept half an eye on the fight that was   
playing out in front of her as she accessed her computer's memory   
banks and began to analyse all the incoming data on the bizarre   
Sailor Senshi they were fighting.   
  
She assumed that the creature was one of the new enemy that   
Sailor Jupiter had told them about and was glad that she had this   
chance to gather data. She was also sad that it was too powerful   
for them.   
  
She hadn't found any obvious weak spots she and the others   
could take advantage of, nor had she been able to think of any   
possible strategies that could work, even with the assistance of   
her computer. There was no record of anything even remotely   
similar to this thing in the Moon Kingdom's computer banks.   
Except maybe the Senshi themselves and even they were rather   
different.  
  
She rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly, her eyes   
straining to keep up with the pages and pages of information, in   
the dim light. Then something caught her attention.  
  
Off to one side she could see something glowing and turned   
her head sharply to observe it more closely.  
  
It seemed to be Tuxedo Kamen.  
  
She had seen him as she and the others had arrived and had   
been glad they'd gotten there in time to stop him from being hurt   
more than he obviously already was. She still wasn't entirely   
sure what to make of him, but he was cute and mysterious and   
sometimes, just sometimes Mercury couldn't help but fall victim   
to romance any more than Jupiter and Venus. There had been those   
dreams...  
  
She snapped out of her daydreaming as Tuxedo Kamen pulled   
himself upright, a tiny, wicked smile playing across his lips.   
The glow intensified until Mercury had to avert her eyes until,   
with a flash it was gone.  
  
When she turned back, Tuxedo Kamen was no longer so.   
  
Where he had been stood a tall, handsome man dressed in   
black armour with silver accents. A cape still graced his   
shoulders, this lined with a silvered midnight blue rather than   
the scarlet of the masked man. Quartered circles of silver were   
pinned to his collar, encircled his waist and graced the edges of   
his tunic. A sword hung at his side, the quartered circle   
appearing engraved on the sheath and ornamenting the hilt. The   
final touch was a thin silver circlet engraved all around by the   
same symbol.  
  
All together, a very impressive looking costume.  
  
She started at the focussed light in his eyes, so different   
from the indifferent cynicism she'd seen there previously.  
  
Watching the fight intently, the man who had been Tuxedo   
Kamen drew his sword.  
  
A few seconds later it was over, the light that bloomed   
from the golden crystal embedded in the blade, combined with the   
silver of the blade's light itself, cut through the air and   
Sailor V.R. easily. And it disintegrated into golden dust that   
faded to dull brown as it pooled on the floor.  
  
Surprised by the abruptness of the defeat, Mercury's   
companions turned to see the newcomer and the Outer Senshi forgot   
themselves enough to emerge from where they had been hidden.  
  
Ignoring his audience, the blue-eyed hero turned and walked   
to one of the unconscious customers, sheathing his sword.   
Bending he stared at the sandy-haired young man for a moment   
before carefully lifting him into his arms and heading towards   
the door.  
  
The six Senshi remained quietly watching until he had   
disappeared, each of them reluctantly in awe of the regal figure.   
  
The two Outer Senshi looked at one another and leapt into   
movement, following him out of the Virtual Reality Theatre.  
  
Mercury glanced at her companions and smiled at the   
expressions on their faces as they also looked to one another.   
  
Seconds later they ran out the entrance in pursuit.  
  
==========  
  
Motoki blinked his eyes open, his head feeling rather the   
worse for wear as he looked around the room he was in. It was a   
room he'd never been in before, he was sure of that, but it   
seemed a little familiar anyway. He slowly pushed himself to his   
elbows and took in the late evening sunlight coming through the   
windows and falling across the bed where he lay.  
  
"Good, you're awake."  
  
He sat up fully and winced as his body and skull protested,   
then looked at his friend who was standing by the bed holding out   
a glass of water and some pills. He looked at them suspiciously,   
then back up at Mamoru.  
  
"They're just aspirin," he said as he shrugged and put them   
down on the table next to the bed.  
  
Motoki glared as best he could before taking the pills and   
swallowing them, following with a gulp of water.   
  
"Thanks."  
  
He lay back for a minute, resting his arm across his eyes   
as he waited for the pills to take effect. He also took the time   
to gather his thoughts, remembering that afternoon and Mamoru's   
transformation.  
  
Finally, he sighed and moved into a sitting position again.   
  
"So, what was that?"  
  
Mamoru watched him, his blue eyes a little uncertain then   
he sighed.  
  
"Ever since I was, um, six, I've been having these dreams,   
of the moon and a princess..."  
  
Motoki's eyes widened at the mention of a princess as his   
mind began working. Maybe that was why... And here he'd been   
starting to think maybe Mamoru was gay, or something.  
  
"This may take a while, mind if I sit down?"  
  
Motoki looked up and nodded, "Sure."  
  
Settling himself cross-legged at the end of the bed, Mamoru   
continued.  
  
"In the dream I was older, maybe 20 or so and I was on the   
moon, I could tell it was the moon because I could see Earth.   
Anyway, I walk towards this palace..."  
  
"Palace? On the moon?"  
  
Mamoru smiled wistfully, "Yeah, a Palace on the moon. I   
don't know why it was there, but it was. I think it's where the   
Sailor Senshi come from. I heard them talking about going back   
there once, before they had to fight Beryl and Queen Metallia."  
  
Motoki frowned. He'd never got most of what went on with   
the Senshi and the names meant nothing to him, something that   
Mamoru seemed to pick up on.  
  
"They were the leaders of the first lot of youma to come   
through. They drained everyone's energy."  
  
"Oh. So they weren't just monsters?"  
  
Mamoru laughed, "Hate to say it, but none of them are.   
There's always someone controlling them. Or ordering them about   
anyway. The second lot called themselves the Death Busters for   
some reason. They're still around, though..." Mamoru frowned,   
"things have changed recently."   
  
He trailed off as his thoughts turned inwards and Motoki   
took the opportunity to take a sip of water while he watched his   
friend avidly. Everyone was curious about what was going on in   
the youma department and to get information from someone who knew   
what he was talking about was rare. And for the person who knew   
to be Mamoru... Motoki still had trouble taking it in.  
  
"Anyway. The Dream."  
  
Motoki _heard_ the capital in 'dream', and found himself   
nodding in encouragement.  
  
"So, I head towards a palace and I know exactly where I'm   
going. I end up at a wall with a balcony and I see someone   
there. It's the Princess and she's smiling, happy. I love   
seeing her like that, can't stand it when she cries, when her   
eyes fill with tears. She's beautiful, even when she cries, but   
she was made to smile... don't want her to cry..."  
  
Motoki stared in surprise as Mamoru shook himself out of   
the reverie he'd fallen into and smiled wryly. Maybe he was a   
romantic after all, but one thing was for sure - he had it bad.  
  
"Yeah. So she smiles at me and I just stand there and   
smile back. Most of it's like that until just before I wake up,   
then she becomes sad, so sad and reaches for me. She says 'Free   
me' and then I wake up."  
  
Speechless, Motoki sat against the headboard watching his   
friend, seeing more of him than he ever had before. It didn't   
even occur to him to wonder if the dream didn't actually mean   
anything; he knew it did. It meant Mamoru's life.  
  
"What about lately? I mean, things have changed, you never   
used to be this..."  
  
"Out of it? Yeah." Mamoru sighed and ran a hand   
agitatedly through his hair. "About a month ago, just before   
that party the dream changed. She was crying and she sounded, I   
dunno, desperate? She's running out of time and I have to find   
her before it's too late."  
  
"And if you don't?"  
  
"I - I don't know."  
  
Motoki considered for a moment then, deciding to change the   
subject a little, smirked, "What about the Tuxedo Kamen thing?"  
  
"Oh, that. About three years ago when I woke up from one   
of the dreams, I was dressed like that and standing on top of a   
building somewhere fairly close to the Tokyo Tower. I had no   
idea how I got there, but knew I could do things like the Senshi   
do. Jump roofs, create roses, that sort of thing."  
  
"Mamoru! Hey, Mamoru!"  
  
The two friends looked up at the yelling coming in through   
the door and neither was surprised when, seconds later, Hiro   
burst in. He dismissed the presence of Motoki focussing on his   
brother.  
  
"Kaasan said I had to tell you that dinner's almost ready   
and to say you _had_ to come 'cause Kurumi-san's here," Hiro   
leered as well as he could before continuing, "and she wants you   
to look after her."  
  
Mamoru blinked, then sighed, "Sure, tell her I'll be   
there."  
  
"Un. So, Mamoru? You gonna marry her?"  
  
Motoki couldn't help himself at that, he laughed. Mamoru,   
marry someone other than this princess of his?  
  
Mamoru, on the other hand, sent a quelling glance at his   
friend then made it quite obvious to Hiro that he was no longer   
wanted.  
  
Hiro grinned and raced out of the room.  
  
"Will you be alright, Motoki? You should probably stay   
here for a while, until we're sure there's no concussion."  
  
"I'll be fine, it _is_ me who's going to be a doctor, after   
all."  
  
==========  
  
It was a forest in the Northern reaches of Honshuu, just   
beyond the Misawa Air Base. Summer was fully awake, along with   
all her children who chirped happily in the dappled sunlight.  
  
Beneath one of the camphor trees that adorned the slope of   
a hill over looking Ogawara-ko a beep could be heard.   
  
There was another beep, then another, followed by a hiss.  
  
A small mound of moss and grass lifted, vapour curling from   
beneath it, then it flipped over, revealing the inside of a small   
canister of unknown origins.  
  
And within the canister was a small-boned black cat with a   
strange crescent-moon marking on it's forehead. Red-brown eyes   
blinked open and Luna carefully stepped out of the canister that   
had been her resting place for the past thousand years.  
  
She watched the movements of shadows on the undergrowth,   
still woozy from her release from cryogenic-stasis. She shook   
her head carefully, attempting to remove the cobwebs from her   
mind and tried to remember what she was here for. The last thing   
she remembered was watching the advance of the Negaverse, the   
Earth Prince dying, then...   
  
Luna gasped in dismay. The Princess, she had followed her   
beloved into death leaving her mother to make a decision. To   
allow her daughter to live again, with the threat of the   
Negaverse always in the background, or to destroy the Negaverse   
once and for all.  
  
In the end it wasn't all that hard a decision, for a mother   
that loved her daughter as much as the Queen loved Serenity.  
  
And Luna's charge was to find the Princess and guide her,   
to awaken the Sailor Senshi to guard her and to prepare them all   
for the possibility of the Negaverse.  
  
She knew she'd have to find the control centre that had   
been set up for this purpose, and to do that she needed the   
homing device. Unfortunately she wasn't up to gymnastic feats so   
soon after her slow thaw, so she began walking in a random   
direction to flex her muscles.  
  
Luna didn't notice the small flashing light on the side of   
the canister or the glowing red words that read 'Error'. She   
didn't notice that she'd been asleep longer than programmed. And   
she didn't notice that her memory currently resembled Venusian   
cheese.   
  
==========  
  
Sailor Venus stopped running, out of breath and bent over,   
trying to catch it.  
  
There was no point in continuing, they weren't going to   
catch up with either Tuxedo Kamen, whoever he was now, or the   
Outer Senshi. She felt the other Senshi slow down and look at   
her.  
  
"We've lost them."  
  
Mars' anger flared, the way it often did these days and she   
opened her mouth to yell at her leader, "You're just going to   
give up? We need to know what's going on!"  
  
Venus sighed and nodded her agreement, "Yes, we do, but   
we're not going to be able to catch up to them, they're stronger   
then we are and faster too. We'll have to wait for another   
chance."  
  
"So. Have Mercury find them with her computer."   
  
Mercury looked up from the refuge of her computer, "You   
know there isn't a way to track the other Senshi and I've never   
had the chance to find out if it's possible to track Tuxedo   
Kamen. He never gives me the chance to try."  
  
Mars glared at the betrayal and, without saying another   
word, stalked off towards the Hikawa shrine.  
  
Mercury looked pained for a moment before shrugging and   
immersing herself in the computer while Sailor Jupiter mumbled   
her good-byes and left.  
  
Once they were alone, the Senshi of Ice deactivated her   
visor and looked at her leader, "Why do things have to be this   
way? They weren't when we were on the moon."  
  
Venus sighed and bowed her head, "The Princess was on the   
moon. She was why we could work together as well as we could.   
Even the Outer Senshi, I think, worked with her."  
  
Mercury snorted, "You think we'd be able to work together   
for her sake, even if she isn't _here_. And now Mars is starting   
to think she doesn't exist, that you and Artemis made her up.   
Even I'm starting to wonder if she exists. It may be possible   
that she wasn't reincarnated with the rest of us."  
  
"No!" Venus snapped, "She's alive! You heard what Queen   
Serenity said, when we were on the moon, she sent _all_ of us   
forwards."   
  
Mercury nodded slowly, "But did you ever consider that   
maybe she died here? There's nothing that guarantees her   
survival on Earth."  
  
Venus paused and considered. Was it possible? Was it   
possible that the Princess had died before now? And what were   
they going to do if she had? She began shaking her head, slowly   
at first then with increasing vigour, until her hair was flying.  
  
"No. We _have_ to believe she's alive. Everything means   
nothing if she isn't."  
  
"But why? Why is she so important? Why does everything   
have to revolve around her? It doesn't make sense."  
  
"I-I..." Venus found herself at a loss. She didn't know   
why the Princess was so important, she just _was_. What she   
didn't understand was how the others could doubt. Sure, they'd   
managed to defeat Queen Metallia in the end, but even that was   
indirectly because of the Princess.  
  
Without the Crystal Sword - the remains of the sword the   
Princess has used to commit suicide, the sword that had been   
poisoned by her blood - they would have died and Beryl, backed by   
Metallia would control the Earth.  
  
Ever since that battle and the arrival of the Death   
Busters, the Inner Senshi had lost as many fights as they had won   
and that ratio could only go down. These new Senshi were more   
powerful than anything they'd had thrown at them so far.  
  
This world, their home, would not stand against the enemies   
it faced without the Princess. There was something about her and   
Venus _knew_ she could save Earth and the people that dwelled   
here.   
  
And it wasn't just Power. The Princess could save them   
because she had _more_ than just Power.  
  
But how could she explain that to her fellow Senshi who had   
given up believing, given up hope. Now they fought because they   
were too stubborn to give up, not because they had a cause, a   
belief that they were right and that things would get better.  
  
And now the Inner Senshi, who had at least looked like they   
might become friends amongst themselves after defeating Metallia,   
were nothing of the kind. Mars was bitter and angry that nothing   
seemed to have changed for the better. She was frustrated by   
them not winning every battle. Mercury was sick of always being   
looked down upon by the rest of them, something Venus knew she   
herself was guilty of. She was tired of having to come up with   
ways to beat youma and daimons without receiving any recognition   
for it. Jupiter was depressed that, no matter how much she tried   
to change, she was still viewed as a bully, both in her life   
outside of the Senshi and within it.  
  
And Venus was slowly becoming disheartened. She _knew_,   
but that didn't make it any easier to hold on to hope when she   
was broken and bleeding after having defeated or lost to the   
latest daimon. Her leadership was less than inspiring and so   
often she found herself on the verge of tears, her heart begging   
the Princess to arrive and save them from themselves.   
  
"I - I _know_, Mercury. I don't know why, I just do. She   
is _everything_," Venus' voice caught as she stressed the last   
word, trying to put as much certainty and feeling into as she   
could.  
  
Mercury looked at her, eyes shuttered and blank as she   
weighed Venus' words. Then she lowered her eyelids and sighed.  
  
"I don't know how long we can last, Venus, but we'll try.   
We _all_ will, and somehow we'll find the Princess."   
  
The two Sailor Senshi looked at one other for long moments   
then each broke into smiles. And by general consensus they   
detransformed and walked quietly home.   
  
==========  
  
Endymion, Prince of Earth watched as his Princess left once   
more, heading for her home on the moon, in the company of Lady   
Venus and Lady Jupiter. They'd managed to spend a good four   
hours together this time and had quickly planned their next   
meeting before anything had had the chance to break them up. It   
had been a blissful evening, spent in the arms of his beloved   
Serenity, a tinge of bittersweet colouring their every moment   
until parting.  
  
Now he stood, carefully watched over by General's Kunzite   
and Jadeite until the three visitors from the Moon Kingdom had   
faded from sight.  
  
Turning away from the garden finally, Endymion wandered   
through the palace unseeing. His generals called it moping and   
Endymion sighed as he acknowledged that it was true, but he   
didn't care. His Serenity was gone and he was once again left   
bereft.  
  
He didn't notice his shadow until he'd reached his suite   
and found himself unable to close the door due to the presence of   
a tiny old lady standing there.  
  
He blinked and opened his mouth to speak, only to find   
himself shoved in through the open door and it firmly shut behind   
the two of them.  
  
Still somewhat dazed from his time with his Princess, he   
didn't protest as she sat him down and explained that she had   
come to tell him that he was going to be to Earth what Serenity   
was to the Moon. Directions were given and the tiny lady   
disappeared, leaving Endymion to follow the directions.   
  
Curiosity aroused, he followed them to the letter and found   
himself at the entrance of a cave in the gardens that he'd never   
seen before. He entered and followed the narrow passage   
downwards until it opened into a large chamber, and the lady was   
sitting there, behind a small, black pool of water a tiara across   
her brow and a twinkle in her brown eyes...  
  
==========  
  
Mamoru woke.   
  
Another dream.  
  
Then he smiled. At least it was a useful dream this time.  
  
==========  
  
Makoto wearily trudged homewards, trying not to put to much   
weight on her still-damaged ankle. She and the other Inners had   
managed to defeat another of the strange Sailors today, with a   
little help from the Sailor StarLights. They hadn't managed to   
get any more information from them and they still hadn't found a   
way to return the Sailors to their human forms instead of   
destroying them.   
  
Makoto sighed and decided she was officially depressed.   
Things hadn't been going well for a long time now. She'd   
recently been kicked out of her third school of the year and was   
finding it more and more difficult to find close-by schools that   
were willing to take her in.   
  
At least she was going to the same school as the Three   
Lights now. She immediately perked up, her thoughts turning to   
the three beautiful boys that were attending Juuban High School   
with her and Minako. She found Minako to be a little too hung up   
on herself to really enjoy spending time with her, but her   
determination to befriend the Three Lights made for wonderful   
entertainment and the opportunity to at least talk to the idol   
singers while Minako was doing her thing. She rather thought   
they liked her better than Minako, at least _she_ wasn't quite so   
irritating.  
  
She wasn't sure which one of the Lights she liked the best,   
but ever since she'd bumped into Taiki in the school greenhouses,   
she'd been leaning towards him. Mind you, before that, she'd   
spent most of her time dreaming about Yaten. Particularly after   
she'd seen him being so nice to that little black cat with a   
similar marking to Artemis' on her forehead.  
  
Makoto trouped up the steps to her apartment and found, to   
her surprise, someone sitting outside, a backpack by her side and   
a piece of paper in her hands.   
  
Slowing down, she took in the sight, noting certain   
characteristics. About her own age, the girl looked very like   
Minako with bright golden hair and brilliant blue eyes. But   
unlike Minako's long tresses, this girl had hair that barely   
reached her shoulders. She wore blue jeans, a white t-shirt,   
brown leather jacket and brown boots to match.   
  
Looking up at the sound of shoes against the stairs, the   
girl smiled at Makoto and climbed to her feet.  
  
"Hi. Are you, uh," She glanced down at the piece of paper   
in her hands, "Kino Makoto?"  
  
Makoto nodded, "Yeah. Why?"  
  
"Oh, the ad in the newspaper about a roommate? I just came   
to inquire about it."  
  
Makoto found herself a little surprised. All of the other   
girls her age that she knew lived at home. When she'd finally   
decided she couldn't _not_ advertise for a roommate to help with   
expenses, she was certain she'd end up with someone who was no   
longer a high school student at the least and retired at the   
most.  
  
"You want to move in?"  
  
The blonde laughed, "I don't know yet, do I? After all,   
your apartment could be a mess or something."  
  
Even though she was shocked by the possible slight on her   
house-keeping abilities, she found herself unable to work up even   
the slightest annoyance in the face of the other girl's dancing   
eyes and obvious teasing.   
  
She smiled back and shrugged, "Only one way to find out."  
  
"I'm game if you are."  
  
Makoto's heart was light as she unlocked her door and with   
a tiny bow waved her guest in. This girl... she hoped she'd   
decide to stay, there was something about her that made Makoto   
want to be with her.  
  
"Okay, so the place isn't a mess. I take it you like   
plants?" The blonde was inspecting the fern on the table next to   
the door, gently brushing the tips of her fingers over the soft   
leaves.  
  
"Yeah, almost as much as I like cooking."  
  
"Cooking? I'm starting to think I could like it here,"   
she grimaced, "I'm not much of a cook. I can do a wonderful   
curry, so I'm told, but they make sure I stay away from   
everything else."  
  
Makoto slid her shoes off and went to stow her satchel in   
her room before returning to watch the girl wander about the   
room, light following her about. She shone. There was no other   
word for it. Her eyes laughed and happiness and joy were a   
palpable aura around her.  
  
"Where would I be staying?"  
  
"Oh, your room. That's this way," the brunette led her new   
friend to a closed door and opened it. "It's not quite as big as   
mine, but it has a nice view."  
  
The blonde walked in, looking around, opening the cupboard   
and looking out the windows before turning back to Makoto with a   
wide smile, "Well, I'd love to stay here if you wouldn't mind   
having me."  
  
"Really? That would be great! I was thinking I'd end up   
with someone twice my age."  
  
"So did I. After the past week, I was seriously   
considering moving into my own place. I'm glad I decided on one   
more day of looking."  
  
"So am I," Makoto grinned at her friend, then frowned, "If   
you don't mind my asking, why are you looking for a place at   
all?"  
  
She almost wished she hadn't spoken when the other girl   
turned away a little and she realised that it wasn't something   
that she was likely want to talk about, especially to someone   
she'd only met ten minutes ago.  
  
"Uh, gomen, I wasn't thinking, you don't have to ans..."  
  
"It's okay. I'm going to one of the schools near here and   
I was tired of taking the train such a long way every day. I   
live in an orphanage in Koyama at the moment. Don't much like it   
there either and I thought it was time to move on. I'll miss the   
other kids, but at least I can be my own person."  
  
"Un. That's why I moved out of my Aunt's place."  
  
The two girls stood in silence thinking of their pasts and   
hoping their futures would be better, until the blonde finally   
noticed the darkening sky.  
  
"Oh! I'd better be going. Is it all right if I come by   
tomorrow after school so we can organise details and stuff?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, sure."  
  
"Great, I'll see you then," she said, slinging her backpack   
over her shoulder and heading for the door. Then she giggled and   
turned back. "By the way, I'm Tsukino Usagi, glad to meet you."  
  
It wasn't until then that Makoto realised she hadn't even   
asked the other girl's name. She smiled sheepishly and saw Usagi   
out the door before heading for the kitchen to make dinner and   
see what she could do about a snack for tomorrow afternoon.   
  
==========  
  
Queen Galaxia, the most powerful Senshi in the universe,   
was sightseeing. She'd decided, while polishing her bracelets   
for the fiftieth time that day that she was bored. Being an all-  
powerful being with many less powerful subordinates and the   
ability to play with anything in the universe - stars, galaxies -   
was not the most interesting of jobs, so she had decided to see   
what there was in the way of shopping on this tiny little planet.  
  
She'd spent the morning in Shinjuku, had managed to see the   
Twin Towers before heading to Ueno Park and Juuban. She'd   
briefly considered stealing the Tokyo Tower but decided that the   
colours wouldn't match very well with her decor.  
  
So she'd wandered around, carrying bags of clothes and   
wearing comfortable clothes, which the sales assistant had called   
'jeans'.   
  
It hadn't been till the afternoon that she'd first wandered   
into a shoe-shop, but once she had it would have taken more   
Sailor Senshi that currently had StarSeeds of their own to drag   
her away from there.  
  
She _loved_ shoes.  
  
It was a wonder she hadn't noticed what masterpieces of   
fashion and design they were. It was a wonder people on other   
planets hadn't thought to cash in on these items.  
  
Stacked next to her were a good score of boxes containing   
the widest range of shoes she'd ever seen. Some were leather,   
others clear plastic, some had no heel, others had heels that   
made her taller by a number of inches. They were _wonderful_.  
  
She directed the young girl who acted as sales assistant to   
bring her another pair of shoes that had just caught her eye. In   
her size, of course. They were made up almost entirely of   
rhinestones that glittered with every movement.  
  
Galaxia fell in love.  
  
So it was an annoyance, a most horrible annoyance that   
distracted her from her enjoyment of trying them on.  
  
She tilted her head to one side, her eyes hard, as she   
extended her senses to find out what it was.  
  
Ah! There. It felt like those (what were they called   
again?) Sailor StarLights that had managed to avoid capture back   
on the planet Fireball. She'd managed to get the Princess who   
made a lovely addition to her collection of StarSeeds, but the   
three Senshi who were her guardians had managed to get away.  
  
Now they seemed to be searching for someone. Galaxia   
listened carefully while calling a few of her subordinates to her   
position.   
  
She ignored the shocked looks on the faces of Sailor   
Aluminium Siren and Sailor Iron Crow at her attire and told them   
to find the Sailor StarLights and capture them. A wave of her   
hand to enforce the command and they were gone, leaving her to   
smile in satisfaction at the sight of rhinestone sandals on her   
feet.  
  
"I'll take them."  
  
She took one look at the terrified sales assistant's face   
and decided she'd stay awhile longer as the service had just   
gotten better.  
  
==========  
  
Seiya didn't understand how so many people could listen to   
the music he and his brothers were playing without hearing the   
message they were sending. Was it that they didn't have the   
necessary sensitivity to hear or were they deliberately shutting   
it out? Not that they wanted everyone to get the message, but it   
seemed rather too convenient for _none_ of them to hear it.  
  
They'd been here for almost two months and the only person   
who'd come close to hearing was a young girl Taiki had met in   
hospital just the other day. And she hadn't understood what it   
was she was hearing. But it had the result of inspiring all of   
them to keep going. Surely, if the Princess listened to one of   
their songs she'd hear the message and would help them.  
  
So he sang as well as he could, gathering the strands of   
magic, weaving them into the music so that the message would   
reach the Princess.  
  
He wasn't the least bit surprised when a couple of daimons   
and a Sailor Farce appeared during the middle of one of their   
songs. It had been a long time coming but it had to happen   
eventually. Seiya sighed before gathering himself to dash off   
stage to find somewhere to transform, his brothers a few metres   
in front of him.  
  
The daimons followed right along, quite happily spoiling   
any chance for changing without an audience as everyone else was   
running in the same direction. Seiya was on the verge of calling   
out his transformation phrase anyway when a flash of light cut   
through one of the daimons.  
  
Spinning around, he found himself watching one of the Earth   
heroes, the male, dodging the Sailor Farce's attack while   
throwing a number of quicksilver roses at the remaining daimon to   
keep it occupied.  
  
Grinning, Seiya managed to find himself somewhere to   
transform and headed back out, almost expecting there to be   
nothing left to do.  
  
But the opponents had multiplied and now, as well as a   
group of daimons and a few newly created Farce's they had two of   
the Sailor Anima-mates to deal with.  
  
StarHealer and StarMaker appeared and the three went to   
work, attempting to cut down on the number of occupants in the   
fairly small backstage room.  
  
The space problem didn't remain for long though, once Iron   
Crow and a daimon removed the wall that was in the way. There   
was a brief scramble for positioning in the newly revealed room,   
which resulted in the dissolving of a daimon and the trapping of   
another under the wall that had disintegrated.  
  
"STAR SENSITIVE INFERNO!"   
  
StarHealer sent off one of her attacks in response to the   
attempt by Aluminium Siren to get her out of the way, while   
StarFighter dealt with the daimon under the wall. The unnamed   
fighter, his cloak swirling in dramatic fashion, made a lunge   
with his sword that took out one of the Sailor Farce's and almost   
managed to take Aluminium Siren's arm off.  
  
Much less complacent than she had been, the blue-haired   
Senshi dropped half of the empty-headedness that had   
characterised her fighting till then and went all out against the   
black-haired hero.  
  
Leaving them to themselves, StarFighter turned her   
attention to Sailor Iron Crow.  
  
"STAR SERIOUS LASER!"  
  
The attack crashed against Iron Crow's side, sending her   
staggering to the left. Without waiting for her to recover,   
StarFighter let loose another attack, joined by StarHealer who   
had found herself with a few moments to spare. The two mana   
projectiles sped towards the rust-haired Senshi, strengthening   
exponentially upon joining together.  
  
With a startled and angry look, Iron Crow vaulted out of   
the way. Then she was hit by a further two attacks, made of   
water and earth.   
  
Sailor's Neptune and Uranus joined the other fighters as   
Aluminium Siren, who was as worn as her colleague slipped an arm   
around Iron Crow. She ordered the two remaining daimons and the   
single Sailor Farce to run interference for them as they left.   
They knew when they were overpowered.  
  
From then on it was easy for the three StarLights, the two   
Outer Senshi and the unnamed fighter. Seconds later, the fight   
finished and all six of them stood warily facing each other.  
  
StarFighter locked gazes with the unknown fighter, having   
been introduced to the Outer Senshi previously. Blue eyes met   
blue and a stale mate was created.  
  
"If you keep singing songs like that..."  
  
StarFighter smirked, "Yeah."  
  
Understanding flashed between the two and they both turned   
their attention to the Outer Senshi who were watching with   
interested and suspicious eyes.   
  
"Who are you?" Uranus broke the silence, directing a   
question towards the man who had been Tuxedo Kamen.  
  
StarFighter and the other StarLights remained silent, also   
wanting to hear the answer.  
  
The black-clad male laughed, "Would you believe... the   
Senshi of Earth?"  
  
And taking the others' silence as a cue, he left.  
  
==========  
  
Sailor Galaxia watched, having put aside her shoes for the   
moment and leaned back in her throne as Sailor Aluminium Siren   
and Sailor Iron Crow limped back to the Tomoe Mansion. They   
passed young Hotaru who looked at them with wide purple eyes and   
continued on into the basement where the Professor was busy   
attempting to improve his daimons abilities by fusing their DNA   
with that of the Sailor Anima-mates who had been ordered to co-  
operate.  
  
Galaxia sighed in disappointment.   
  
It was terrible that the removal of StarSeeds resulted in   
less resourcefulness. Had the two Senshi been in full command of   
their intellect, as they had been upon first meeting Galaxia when   
she invaded their planets, they may have won.  
  
It was a pity she had decided long ago to allow her   
subordinates a certain number of failures before termination.   
She wasn't about to make exceptions now and Aluminium Siren's   
time was up.  
  
Standing, Galaxia prepared to make her presence known to   
the unfortunate Senshi.  
  
It looked like it would take longer to find the Star of   
Hope than she had thought. Although if she was correct, this   
solar system was home to the ginzuishou. She vaguely recalled   
the white-haired wielder of the crystal that was the only known   
object that could possibly match her own power. Maybe she should   
inform the Witches 5 and her Senshi to keep an eye out for it   
also.  
  
Decision made, Galaxia stifled a yawn of boredom and went   
to visit Sailor Aluminium Siren.  
  
==========  
  
Luna followed the blonde at a distance, waiting for the   
chance to catch her alone. She was almost positive this was one   
of the Sailor Senshi and it was her duty to awaken them.  
  
If only the brunette would leave, but it looked as though   
the tall girl was in for the duration. Luna was going to have to   
wait until the two went home and catch her quarry then.  
  
She hoped Yaten wouldn't worry about her too much. He was   
cute but he worried, which always had the effect of making her   
smile. The silver-haired idol had the reputation of being cold   
and uncaring, much as his brother Taiki did. But in reality he   
was as big a softie as anyone she'd ever known.  
  
Daydreaming about her 'owner', Luna almost walked straight   
past the blonde and her companion, who had stopped to talk to a   
trio of people who had been walking in the opposite direction.   
  
She was surprised to find that it was the Kou brothers,   
Seiya, Yaten and Taiki. The brunette addressed them by name,   
obviously familiar with them. Each of them looked bored by the   
girl's greeting and all of them avoided eye contact, hoping for   
as short a conversation as possible.   
  
It was pure coincidence that Luna was watching Seiya when   
he turned his head to look at the blonde following Makoto, the   
brunette's, introduction. And pure coincidence that he was not   
wearing his sunglasses.  
  
Luna saw something run through his eyes on looking at her,   
the frission of awareness, surprise and something more that was   
there to be seen for a split second.  
  
She switched her gaze to the blonde, Usagi, and looked for   
something there. Apart from a tiny puzzled frown, there was   
nothing.   
  
She smiled brilliantly at the three idols, not recognising   
them and bowed politely. Seiya appeared positively blinded by   
the smile and grinned back, seeming unable to stop himself.  
  
Yaten and Taiki returned her greetings appearing surprised   
that there was a girl out there that wasn't interested in their   
fame. Despite themselves they also smiled.  
  
Makoto opened her mouth to continue talking when screams   
were heard from the other end of the park they were walking in.  
  
All of them turned to stare in that direction then, of one   
accord, ran towards the distraction. Luna followed, still hoping   
for a chance to catch Usagi by herself.  
  
When she caught up to the blonde the other four were no   
longer in sight. Usagi was crouched behind a bush and seemed a   
little confused as she searched for something, or someone. Her   
attention was caught by the Sailor Farce that was attacking   
civilians and she winced in sympathy of the blow that sent one of   
them flying.  
  
"SUPREME THUNDER!"  
  
A ball of lightening shot from beneath the trees and a girl   
in a green fuku stepped out from the shadows, posing in the best   
magical girl style. A short distance away, the Sailor StarLights   
also appeared, their poses containing a little more refinement   
and style.  
  
This was the chance she had been waiting for! Luna sped   
towards the blonde, an ornate pen clutched in her jaws, following   
a somersault and brief expenditure of energy.  
  
Luna placed the pen on the ground and nudged Usagi's thigh.  
  
The blonde jumped, ending up a metre away and staring at   
Luna with spooked eyes.  
  
"Oh, it's just a cat," she breathed, a hand resting on her   
chest, over her thundering heart.  
  
"I don't know about that, Tsukino Usagi."  
  
Wide blue eyes widened even further as Usagi froze in   
place.  
  
"I am here to tell you that you are one of the Sailor   
Senshi. Here," Luna dropped the pen in Usagi's lap, "Use this to   
transform. Just hold it and say the first thing that comes to   
mind."  
  
"The first thing that comes to mind?" Usagi slowly reached   
out a hand and picked up the pen and opened her mouth. Luna   
tensed in anticipation of her transformation.  
  
"A talking cat. You're a talking cat."  
  
Luna face faulted.  
  
"Uh, yes. Usagi, you must transform to help them."  
  
Luna had been monitoring the fight happening on the other   
side of the bush and didn't like what she was seeing. The Sailor   
Farce was acting rather differently than the few others she had   
seen in battle since coming to Tokyo. It was much stronger, with   
faster reflexes and an ability to learn, or so it seemed.  
  
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE-UP!"  
  
When Luna turned back around, Usagi was dressed in a Senshi   
costume.  
  
The cat frowned. She didn't remember seeing that   
combination of colours on the moon. And her transformation   
phrase would indicate that she was Senshi of the Moon, but there   
was no Moon Senshi. She was sure of that.   
  
So what did this mean?  
  
Blinking at her revealing Sailor fuku, the newly-christened   
Sailor Moon stood up shakily and looked down at the feline by her   
feet.  
  
"This means I have to help them, right? And save the world   
from the bad guys?"  
  
Luna nodded and watched as the Senshi walked semi-  
confidently onto the battle field, watching what was going on   
carefully.   
  
==========  
  
Sailor Moon watched the Sailor Farce carefully, noting the   
effects the various attacks of the other Senshi had on it.  
  
Like Luna, she had been witness to many daimon and Farce   
attacks since moving in with Makoto a few weeks ago. They always   
seemed to happen when she was in the vicinity. She had wondered   
if it could be more than coincidence, but had dismissed the   
notion, dreams were just dreams after all.  
  
The first time she'd seen a fight had been in Ueno Park   
where she had just retrieved a hat belonging to a young girl   
named Hotaru. The two had been talking together and getting on   
very well, when a daimon had arrived followed shortly after by   
Sailor Mars who had dispatched it with a fast and intense burst   
of flame.   
  
Most of the other fights had been similar, a daimon would   
appear and a Senshi, then the Senshi would defeat the daimon and   
there would be an end to it. The only other type of fight she'd   
been witness to was one concerning a Sailor Farce and the two   
Senshi known as the Outers. The fight had been harder than the   
others, requiring both Senshi to beat it, but eventually they   
had.   
  
Usagi had been shocked when the Farce had briefly melted   
into human form, then into goo, after the Senshi had left. And   
she had no idea if it had truly been human or if it was a normal   
thing.  
  
She'd been keeping track of the disappearances of people   
from the Juuban area and wondered if there was any connection.   
She hoped not.  
  
Then, recalling where she was, she decided that this Sailor   
Farce was stronger than the other she had seen. It was strong   
enough to be on the verge of defeating StarMaker when she decided   
to take a hand in the fight.  
  
Sailor Moon assumed that, like the transformation, her   
powers, whatever they were, would be instinctive. She allowed   
her mind to go blank and immediately discovered Power attached to   
a phrase that had it wrapped under control.  
  
"MOON TIARA ACTION!"  
  
The glowing golden disk spun in a glittering arc, to hit   
the Farce directly in the face.  
  
Sailor Moon grinned and recalled it to her hand, "Hmm. Now   
what?"  
  
She knew there was no way the tiara could defeat the Sailor   
Farce and, fortunately, it didn't need to. The Sailor StarLights   
took the opportunity afforded by the distraction to combine their   
attacks and disintegrate the Farce.  
  
Sailor Moon watched in sick anticipation to see if it would   
become human and wondered what her reaction would be if it did.   
While they didn't look human, it was easy to forget that they may   
have been human once, but after the fight...  
  
It dissolved directly into goo and she breathed out a sigh   
of relief. Glancing briefly at the curious faces of the other   
four Sailor Senshi, she smiled, her eyes alive with the emotion.   
  
She bounced over to them and held out her hand, "Hi! I'm   
Sailor Moon. Yoroshiku."  
  
"Aa..."  
  
None of the three took her up on her offer, their   
expressions turned suspicious. None of the Senshi were nice to   
those in the other groups.  
  
Sailor Moon shrugged, "Suit yourselves. Well, I'm off,   
Ja!"  
  
She jogged away, rejoining a black cat behind some bushes   
and becoming Usagi once more.  
  
She then sat down and let Luna talk some more about her   
mission to find the other Sailor Senshi and the Princess and   
protect her.  
  
"Other Sailor Senshi? Like Sailor Jupiter and the Sailor   
StarLights?"  
  
Luna looked nonplussed for a moment, "Uh..."  
  
"You don't know?" Usagi frowned.  
  
"Well..."  
  
Usagi was half-annoyed, half-amused by the cat's ignorance   
which was almost as great as hers. She vacillated between   
snapping at the cat or laughing and, from habit, chose to laugh.   
"Oh well, I suppose we'll find out eventually, ne?"  
  
Luna didn't get the chance to reply, even had she had   
something prepared to say, as Makoto and the Three Lights joined   
her.  
  
"Oh, good. You're okay. When I couldn't find you, I got   
worried," Makoto asked, looking down at her roommate sitting   
beneath a tree behind a bush.  
  
"Oh, I've been here the whole time." She affected   
excitement, "I saw the Senshi fight!"  
  
"Again?" Makoto laughed at her. The brunette was well   
aware of how often Usagi had ended up in the close proximity to a   
Senshi battle.  
  
"Yep! I'm glad you're okay, too."  
  
Luna jumped off Usagi's shoulder, where she had been   
sitting and jumped at Yaten, purring loudly as he gathered her   
into his arms.  
  
"Oi! It's Kuroi!" Seiya exclaimed.  
  
"Baka. Her name isn't Kuroi," Yaten retorted, glaring at   
his brother.  
  
"Oh, is she your cat? She's cute."  
  
Luna purred contentedly at the compliment.  
  
Yaten looked down at the blonde and slowly nodded, "I guess   
she is."  
  
"What's her name?"  
  
Yaten said nothing.  
  
"He doesn't know," Seiya told her, smiling behind the   
sunglasses he had retrieved from his pocket.  
  
Usagi chuckled and made a suggestion Luna would probably be   
happy with, "How about Luna? It's got something to do with the   
moon and that bald spot on her forehead looks like a crescent   
moon."  
  
Yaten tilted his head to one side and looked down at the   
cat then nodded, "That's a good name."  
  
Luna purred again in agreement and sent a grateful look   
towards Usagi. She had been getting sick of being called 'cat'   
all the time, even if it was by someone as cute as Yaten.  
  
"Hey, Usagi-chan? We'd better go, we've still got our   
shopping to do."  
  
The blonde jumped to her feet, still smiling and nodded,   
"Sure, let's get going. Nice to meet you guys, see you round."  
  
Yaten, Taiki and Seiya watched as the two girls walked away   
from them with a friendly wave.  
  
==========  



	3. Part Three

==========================================================  
  
Chikyuu no Senshi  
Part Three  
A Sailormoon Alternate Reality Story  
By Sefilin (aka Lei)   
  
===========================================================  
  
Mamoru watched as Reika and Motoki fed their lunches to   
each other with their fingers, listening to the easy,   
affectionate teasing that filled the air between them. He sighed   
and looked out over the small lake they were sitting beside.  
  
He didn't know why he was torturing himself by staying when   
he was obviously not needed, but he seriously couldn't think of   
anything to do.   
  
It was a weekend and there were no classes, all his   
assignments and homework had been completed the night before when   
he had nothing better to do. And now Mamoru was bored enough to   
sit here and watch his best friend and his girlfriend feed each   
other. It was enough to make him wish he had a test on Monday he   
could study for. He liked the both of them a lot, maybe even   
loved them, but when they were together they could be...   
sickeningly mushy.  
  
Mamoru hoped he would never ever end up in a situation like   
that.   
  
Not that it was likely to happen since he was already in   
love with the Princess and yet didn't even know if she existed.   
And there was no way he was going to act like that with anyone   
else.  
  
"Mamoru-san? Are you okay?"  
  
Turning back to the happy couple, Mamoru allowed a small   
smile to appear on his lips before answering, "I'm fine, Reika-  
san. Just thinking."  
  
Motoki eyed him for a moment and his eyebrows lifted in   
query, "About what? Anything interesting?"  
  
It was about then that Mamoru realised just how well his   
friend could read him. There was a compassionate light in the   
blonde's eyes that indicated he knew Mamoru was thinking about   
his Princess.  
  
"Aa," Mamoru's smile widened as he murmured an affirmative.  
  
Motoki nodded, returning his smile while Reika watched and   
tried to read them both.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Motoki faced his girlfriend again and placed a finger   
gently against her lips, "Nothing."   
  
And Reika listened to the underlying message and refrained   
from any further comments.   
  
Mamoru went back to staring at nothing and sat listening   
with half an ear to Motoki and Reika's conversation when a jolt   
ran through him.  
  
Straightening, he scanned the area and saw nothing, but   
within his chest a tiny flame was burning uncomfortably. It   
tugged on his heart and urged him to move. He shivered and tried   
to ignore the summons while analysing the sensation.  
  
A second jolt, more imperative than the first tugged him in   
a certain direction and he stood. The tugging increased in   
strength and Mamoru turned to face his friends, "I... have to   
go."   
  
He looked at Motoki and saw he understood. Another faint   
smile touched his lips, "Ja," and he walked away, heading   
_somewhere_.  
  
After a few minutes, in which he managed to refrain from   
running, the summons stopped. Confused and disoriented, Mamoru   
stopped cold and didn't feel it when the girl who had been   
walking behind him crashed into his back.  
  
Purple eyes glared at him, ready to start complaining, when   
she caught a glance of his face, with it's brow furrowed and eyes   
dazed. The brunette tossed her long black hair back over her   
shoulder and stared at him unabashedly as she moved past him.  
  
==========  
  
Rei turned away from the ebony-haired young man she'd just   
crashed into and continued on her way to Minako's house where a   
Senshi meeting had been called.  
  
She had to admit the guy was cute, but it was the look in   
his eyes that had caught her attention. He'd looked so lost.   
For a second she'd thought he'd been high, but that look was not   
drug-induced.  
  
Pushing her unruly hair behind her ears, Rei continued   
walking, her thoughts still on the man she'd just passed. She   
hated men, thanks to her father, but something about him struck   
her as special. It was similar to the vibes she got from the   
Sailor Senshi, a combination of Power and Alien that was   
unmistakable.  
  
And, together with that expression, it had swallowed the   
hate and replaced it with curiosity. She wondered who and what   
he was. Was he involved in all of _this_?   
  
The thought of her, their, situation bought her back to the   
thoughts that had been running through her mind for any number of   
months.  
  
The Princess.   
  
Why did Venus continue to insist they needed her when they   
were doing fine by themselves? They were defending Tokyo and the   
world, with a little help from the Outers and the StarLights   
maybe, but they were doing it.  
  
What was so special about this one person, who was going to   
be as fallible as they were, that they were to give up their   
lives to search for her?  
  
Rei didn't know.  
  
Maybe if their memories of their past lives were intact   
she'd understand, but they weren't. None of them had memories   
that were anywhere near complete, not even Artemis who knew more   
than the rest of them. Granted, it came in fits and starts but   
it was still more than she had.  
  
Rei hated being in any situation where she was not in   
control and this was beginning to feel like one.  
  
The miko sighed, telling herself that lying wasn't going to   
get her anywhere.   
  
She hadn't been in control of anything for a long time and   
that was unlikely to change in the near future with the way   
things were going.   
  
Rei opened the gate that led to Minako's house and knocked   
on the door, allowing her thoughts to rest while she waited for   
someone to answer.  
  
She followed Minako up to the blonde's room and greeted Ami   
and Makoto quietly before settling against the desk that was   
crowded with cute figures and toys the way the rest of Minako's   
room was.  
  
"So, what was it you wanted to discuss?" she asked, not   
overly thrilled to be there.  
  
Surprisingly, it was Makoto that answered, "There's a new   
Senshi fighting against the daimons and Farce's."  
  
Rei resisted the urge to sigh, "Like that's unusual?   
Senshi have been turning up periodically since we became them   
ourselves."  
  
"Maybe," Makoto glared at her, "But this one's different.   
She's... nice. None of the rest of us get along, but she   
introduced herself, smiled and... and said she was pleased to   
meet us." Then Makoto went red, realising how stupid that   
sounded.  
  
Rei snorted, "Which probably means she wants to get you to   
like her so it's easier for her to get rid of us."  
  
Makoto looked hurt and Rei almost wished she could take the   
statement back.   
  
Despite the fact that she came across as cold, mean and   
uncaring, she had no desire to hurt her... comrades. If she was   
totally honest with herself, she could even admit she liked them   
and occasionally thought of them as friends. But now it was   
habit to show this face to the world and it would take more   
strength than she had to break through the conditioning.  
  
"No... I don't think she's like that, Rei. I think, I   
think maybe she's what the Princess is like."  
  
The Princess. Why did everything always have to come back   
to _Her_?  
  
Rei snorted again and tucked a strand of hair behind her   
ear, "The Princess."  
  
The other three Inner Senshi waited for her continue, all   
of them aware of her views and even sharing them to some degree.   
But she didn't and the silence became uneasy, as any silence   
between the four of them always did.  
  
So they attempted to talk about inconsequential things like   
the weather and when that didn't work they tried discussing   
possible tactics. Then Rei finally got tired of it all and, with   
an abrupt goodbye, left, her mind still travelling in the same   
circles.  
  
==========  
  
Haruka and Michiru wandered out of the concert hall, where   
Michiru had just finished practising for her concert that   
evening, and headed for somewhere to relax.  
  
They arrived at the Crown Fruit Parlour and found   
themselves a booth set in an out-of-the-way corner and took seats   
across from one another.  
  
They were joined shortly after by a waitress who smiled at   
them and asked for their order.  
  
Haruka raised an eyebrow, "You're new here?"  
  
The blonde nodded, "Yeah. I've been here about a week."  
  
"Ah. Well can we have some green tea, please."  
  
"Sure, I'll be back, with it, in a moment."  
  
The two Outer Senshi looked at each other and smiled at the   
enthusiasm and zest the waitress had. They were agreed, she was   
cute.  
  
But neither of them were there to check out the waitresses   
so they turned their eyes to each other and got down to the   
serious business of discussing the new turn in events.  
  
"So there's a new Senshi," Haruka stated, beginning the   
conversation.  
  
"Not to mention that guy who also claims to be one," both   
girls were still rather upset that he had claimed the title of   
Senshi of Earth, even if he had refuted to be a Sailor that time   
they'd managed to delay him enough to ask. There were _no_ male   
Senshi. They were certain of that. The very idea was enough to   
make both of them snarl, much as they had the first time they'd   
met him as Senshi Earth.  
  
"Yes," Haruka hissed. "But this Sailor Moon, there's   
something different about her. Even beyond that _man_, there is   
something not quite right about her. I get the feeling there's   
much more to her than we've seen."  
  
Michiru nodded in agreement, "Even if she acts like a new   
Senshi, that... light she has..."  
  
"It will blind us if we are not careful. She has already   
captured the StarLights, especially StarFighter. She is   
infatuated with Sailor Moon. They have even begun to work   
together!"  
  
The green-haired girl blinked blue eyes, "She _is_ nice   
enough to win them all, isn't she?" A small smile graced her   
lips as she thought of the Moon Senshi, a smile Haruka didn't   
like.  
  
"Be careful, Michiru, we don't know what her motivation is   
or who she's working for."  
  
Michiru nodded, "Yes. But if she's working with the   
StarLights..."  
  
She broke off as the blonde waitress swept up to their   
table and deposited a steaming teapot and two cups there, "Here   
you are. I hope you enjoy it."  
  
"Usagi-chan!"  
  
Before the blonde had a chance to turn a tiny black-haired   
girl was at her side, smiling up at the blonde.  
  
"Hello, Hotaru-chan."  
  
The two girls walked off, chatting together and the two   
left behind went back to their conversation.  
  
"Cute."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"There's still no sign of the Talisman's."  
  
Haruka nodded, pouring tea for the two of them, "And we're   
the only one's looking for them now."  
  
"Which has made things worse with the Inners," Michiru   
sighed, remembering the fights that had taken place since the two   
Outers had, themselves, begun retrieving heart crystals from the   
citizens of Tokyo. Before that there had only been brief, half-  
hearted skirmishes.  
  
Not that Michiru could blame them, it was something she   
didn't like doing, but they had to have the Talismans before the   
Silence. There was no way to stand against it otherwise.  
  
"At least the StarLights are too busy looking for the   
Princess to annoy us," Haruka laughed shortly. "They'd be a lot   
harder to deal with."  
  
"They _are_ stronger than the Inners, aren't they?" the   
green-haired girl murmured into her teacup, steam wreathing   
around her face.  
  
"They're also from outside of the Silver Millennium. We're   
meant to guard against them as much as against the Silence."  
  
Michiru sighed, "Yes. But we haven't been guarding against   
anything but that. The disadvantages of our incomplete memories.   
We learn more of our past everyday and still it isn't fast   
enough."  
  
"There is so much we need to know, so much we should know.   
Something is missing beyond the Princess. I think, feel, that   
there were more of us, more of the Outer Senshi."  
  
"Saturn and Pluto. Yes. Darkness and Vision."  
  
Haruka laughed again, her voice still harsh, "As we are   
Strength and Elegance? I do not understand this, Mi-chan. And I   
hate that I don't, that I _can't_ understand." The handsome   
blonde's voice broke and she bowed her head over her teacup.  
  
Michiru reached across the table and laid her hand atop her   
lover's, "And yet we must endure." She smiled gently, sadly,   
"Things can only get better, koi, hold onto that."  
  
The couple sat in silence until they finished their tea   
and, after paying, made their way back to the concert hall,   
hearts heavy with duty and hopelessness.  
  
==========  
  
Galaxia dropped into her throne with a sigh and tipped   
back, rubbing the bridge of her nose to ward off the headache   
that threatened to make the day even worse.  
  
It had started out with Iron Crow failing in her task to   
find a star crystal, thanks to Sailors Mars and Mercury. From   
there Eudial had also failed, this time at the hands of Uranus   
and Neptune. Then Professor Tomoe had destroyed his lab, having   
briefly lost his control on top of his sanity. After so many   
years of working towards a great goal, he was getting frustrated   
with their lack of successes.  
  
Every daimon and Sailor daimon he had created had been   
taken apart by the local Sailor Senshi and now Galaxia was   
killing off members of the Witches 5 for the same reasons she'd   
killed off most of the Sailor Anima-mates. They had failed.  
  
So beyond his own failure to construct something strong   
enough to survive a fight with the Senshi, he had the fear of   
moving beyond Sailor Galaxia's tolerance levels.  
  
Galaxia had, in fact, considered dismembering him, or   
something equally fun a number of times. The only thing that had   
stopped her was the potential she had seen in the experiment that   
was his daughter. It was the single thing that was going right   
on this miserable little planet, apart from the shoes, and it   
wasn't even part of the original plan.  
  
Little Hotaru was coming along quite nicely and it wouldn't   
be long before she reached the point of evolution.   
  
No one else knew that Hotaru was, herself, a Sailor Senshi   
except for Galaxia. The potential they had recognised in her was   
merely an abstract, something that had happened by accident.   
Perhaps as a result of her mother's death.  
  
The golden woman snorted, polishing the smokey crystal that   
made up her throne. A puff of breath then around in circles with   
the cloth she always kept available. There was nothing else to   
do in this barren plane of existence.  
  
The evolution that would transform an extraordinarily   
strong Sailor Senshi into something more was something Galaxia   
was looking forward to. She'd only ever heard of two other   
Senshi achieving the last stage of Power growth and one of them   
had died from drawing too much energy the day after.  
  
And then there was herself, currently the only Senshi in   
existence to have reached her full potential.  
  
So this tiny, dark Senshi could possibly be her equal.  
  
And that... that would be most interesting.  
  
==========  
  
Usagi, Hotaru and Makoto were on a picnic at the blonde   
girl's suggestion. She'd claimed it was too nice a day to spend   
inside and had infected Makoto with enthusiasm before going off   
to call on her small friend.   
  
Usagi had been surprised when Kaori, Hotaru's father's   
assistant had told her Hotaru wasn't in and even if she was   
didn't want to see anyone. She was well aware that her friend   
had no others and that she always jumped at the chance to spend   
time with Usagi.  
  
Fortunately, Hotaru had been gazing out her window when she   
had walked up to the mansion and the little girl came down to   
meet her. She'd happily accepted, in spite of Kaori's obvious   
disapproval, and the two girls had picked Makoto and her cooking   
up from their apartment to take with them.  
  
Usagi was glad that Hotaru and Makoto, both who had quickly   
become her closest friends, got along. Makoto had taken one look   
at the thin, sickly girl and decided to fatten her up.   
  
Now, whenever Usagi had planned to spend time with Hotaru,   
Makoto insisted on her taking along a small gift of food for the   
younger girl.  
  
The three girls were relaxing in the autumn sunshine,   
enjoying each others company and talking about very little of   
importance. Nothing had arrived to distract any of them from   
their laziness and each were hoping the day would draw to a quiet   
close, spent in the company of good friends.  
  
It surprised none of them when the distraction did come.  
  
But it did surprise them that the distraction wasn't a   
daimon or Sailor Farce, but Hotaru.  
  
In the middle of eating a rice ball, the brunette had,   
without warning, fallen onto her side and lay, unmoving while   
Usagi and Makoto tried to figure out what had happened and what   
to do about it.  
  
They fairly quickly decided on the hospital and quickly and   
neatly packed away the remains of their meal before taking a taxi   
to the closest hospital.  
  
They waited anxiously for word of Hotaru after she'd been   
taken away by doctor's, though when it did come they weren't sure   
what to make of it. They had found nothing wrong with the little   
girl. Even sunstroke and dehydration had been ruled out.  
  
The doctor's didn't seem very worried about it, especially   
since the fainting spells had never been witnessed by Usagi or   
Makoto before. They handed Hotaru, conscious again, back to them   
and told them to make contact if it happened again.  
  
So they walked out into the dusk and began to walk Hotaru   
home.  
  
"Are you okay, Hotaru-chan?" Usagi asked, her blue eyes   
worried and watching for any sign of a repeat performance.  
  
"Hai," came the quiet reply.  
  
"Are you sure? Cause if you're not, I don't mind giving   
you a piggy-back ride."  
  
The younger girl grinned at that and nodded, "I'm fine,   
Mako-chan. I'm sorry for spoiling the picnic."  
  
The two older girls bent severe gazes on Hotaru, who   
flinched away from them.  
  
"You didn't spoil the picnic. And we're just glad you're   
okay."  
  
Makoto nodded in agreement and the trio gave each other   
smiles and went back to peacefully enjoying each other's   
company.  
  
==========  
  
Hotaru hadn't been entirely truthful when she'd told the   
doctor's she didn't know what was wrong with her. She did, she   
just didn't like saying because she knew her father wouldn't want   
her to tell. And she knew the doctors would disagree with what   
her father was doing.  
  
But Hotaru trusted him when he told her he was trying to   
make sure she was never sick again. He'd never lied to her   
before and even if she felt worse as the treatments continued,   
she was sure that in the end everything would work out exactly   
like her father said.  
  
The only thing she regretted was that Usagi and Makoto had   
been there when she'd collapsed this time. The two girls were   
the only people who didn't think she was a freak, even though   
they knew she could heal small wounds.  
  
Hotaru smiled in confusion and affection as she recalled   
how Usagi had reacted when she has healed the older girl's cut at   
their first meeting. No one had ever thought it was neat before,   
except her father.  
  
She was so glad she'd met Usagi. The blonde was enough to   
make up for all the friends she'd never had. And when she'd   
bought Makoto along for the ride, Hotaru had trouble deciding   
what to do with her.  
  
She waved goodbye to her friends from the front door of her   
mansion and watched until they were out of sight, before   
entering.  
  
She found Kaori waiting for her.  
  
"Where have you been?" the redhead hissed.  
  
"I-I went on a picnic with Usagi."  
  
"The Professor has been looking for you, you're late for   
your medicine. Go quickly."  
  
Hotaru hurried off to the room that had been set aside for   
her treatments, not wanting to keep her father waiting.  
  
She climbed up onto the padded table and lay down at the   
Professor's instruction and calmed her breathing as she had been   
taught. She let her thoughts wander and relaxed as much as she   
could.  
  
Then her father was standing over her with a loving smile.   
He brushed her hair gently back and softly kissed her forehead.  
  
"We're almost done, Hotaru-chan, and you'll be better. It   
won't be long now."  
  
Hotaru smiled and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the   
uncomfortable sensation of cold metal against her temples and   
brainstem until it was warmed by her body heat. It seemed to   
take longer now to reach body heat than when they'd first begun   
the treatments, but the small girl tolerated it. It made her   
father happy and when it was finished, she'd never be sick again.   
  
==========  
  
Galaxia stood in the shadows of the treatment room,   
unnoticed by it's two occupants. According to her calculations   
this should be the final treatment before the evolution of young   
Hotaru.  
  
Professor Tomoe moved across the room until he was standing   
in front of a desk that held a computer, the screen going a long   
way towards creating the correct atmosphere for a mad scientist's   
experimentation's. Galaxia had to smile at the association,   
knowing she watched too much television.  
  
With a flick of his finger, Tomoe began the process,   
indications of brain and spirit activity splashing the computer   
screen with colour.  
  
Next to the door, Kaori flicked the lights off, the better   
to see the readouts and any visible spiritual energy from the   
tiny ebony-haired girl on the table. It was all so wonderfully   
atmospheric, Galaxia thought again.  
  
It was interesting that this project was the only one Tomoe   
had not given up when she'd arrived. And it had more to do with   
the Sailor Senshi than anything else he'd been involved in.  
  
For all his wanting to resurrect Pharaoh Ninety, the   
Professor had become mighty quiescent to her wishes. That was,   
in part, why she'd made a point of keeping an eye on both Kaori   
and Tomoe.   
  
A precaution that looked like it was going to pay off.   
This Senshi was going to be an impressive addition to her   
collection and an interesting challenge to make so.  
  
Galaxia watched the slow build-up of spiritual energy as   
indicated by the growing purple aura surrounding young Hotaru.   
For an hour she measured the energy levels, both through her own   
senses and the computer monitors and they showed no evidence of   
slowing down.  
  
Then there was a brief flash of brighter light as the   
clothes Hotaru was wearing transformed and Sailor Saturn lay on   
the metal table. The crystals set on the ribbon at her throat   
and the bow on her chest glittered, pulsing with the tiny flares   
that began to move throughout the aura she was generating.  
  
Then something else started reacting to the power build-up,   
something both within Galaxia and without. Something linked to   
her could feel what was happening, using her mind and body to   
find out what it was.   
  
Galaxia tugged at the link that joined her and this other   
thing and felt a jolt of familiarity. It had the feel of   
something she had been missing for almost longer than she could   
remember.  
  
Then it came to her.  
  
The Star of Hope.  
  
Her soul, no, Sailor Galaxia's soul, from before she had   
become Queen Galaxia.  
  
Sienna eyes narrowing, the woman who was more than a   
Senshi, sent a tiny probe of power along the almost non-existent   
link that remained between her and the Star. She had a flash of   
bright red-pink hair and blue eyes set in a child's face before a   
flash of panic caused the far-seeing to break.  
  
Coming back to herself, Galaxia stared unseeingly at the   
now bright aura surrounding Sailor Saturn.  
  
The Star of Hope, that... yes, that was what she had come   
here to find, beyond the urge to conquer and destroy the   
StarLights. The Star held the only StarSeed that truly mattered,   
and Galaxia wanted it. Such a thing as Hope could be damaging to   
her plans; if someone was to ally themselves with it, someone   
like Saturn, then there was the possibility that the perseverance   
that would result could lead to her downfall. Unlikely, but the   
possibility was there.  
  
Especially since, over and above engendering hope in   
others, the Star had a measure of Power that would also aid it's   
bearer.  
  
Taking a brief glance at what was happening with Saturn,   
Galaxia sent a mental message to each of her subordinates to   
obtain the Star of Hope that was currently masquerading as a   
girl-child.  
  
Then, her mind set at rest, she watched the build-up again.  
  
It was another hour before the slight twisting of the   
universe around the girl indicated something was happening. She   
watched for Tomoe and Kaori's reactions and huffed disgustedly   
when none was detected. They couldn't feel it, as disconnected   
from the universe as most people were.  
  
Expecting Saturn to wake with the realisation of her new   
status, Galaxia frowned when she remained unmoving and Tomoe   
began to fiddle with the computer.  
  
The universe _lurched_ and where once had been a tiny woman   
in a Sailor fuku, now lay a woman fully as tall as Galaxia   
herself with ebony hair that pooled on the floor around the   
table.  
  
The frown still in place, Galaxia also took in the tight,   
low-cut bodice the other woman wore, the dark blue decorated only   
by a few silver beads. The flowing skirt rippled lightly in the   
wake of the change, revealing slender ankles. Her aura had also   
darkened, though it's strength remained as it had been.  
  
Indigo eyes opened without warning and the woman sat up,   
moving gracefully, her hair lifting partly off the floor and   
falling gently against her back. She glanced dismissively at   
Tomoe and Kaori and turned her attention to the corner where   
Galaxia was still standing. An elegant brow rose and lips   
quirked as those eyes found hers unerringly in the dark.  
  
And Galaxia found herself wondering if it had been a bad   
idea to let things go this far.  
  
==========  
  
Motoki leaned casually against the video game Mamoru was   
playing, talking to his best friend in a quiet voice. Neither of   
them wanted to be overheard and the noise of the video parlour   
effectively cloaked their conversation.  
  
"So, have you found out what it is yet?"  
  
Mamoru blew away a few of the lizard-like creatures that   
moved to attack his character and glanced shortly up at the   
blonde, "No. It always stops before I get to wherever it calls   
me."  
  
"Any ideas about what it could be?"  
  
"I suppose it could be one of the Sailor Senshi or some   
sort of object. The golden crystal would have that effect on me   
if I didn't already have it."  
  
Motoki nodded slowly, "The Princess?"  
  
Mamoru's head dropped forwards and he sighed, "I... I don't   
know. It could be, I want it to be, but I..."  
  
"You don't want to be disappointed if it isn't," it was a   
statement and Mamoru smiled.  
  
Motoki knew him too well.  
  
"I guess. I've been looking for her for so long, I don't   
know what to do if I find her."  
  
Motoki grinned, "May I suggest walking up to her and giving   
her a kiss? You're so far gone on her it's what you'll most want   
to do, so why not get it over and done with?"  
  
Almost failing to survive the next wave of monsters due to   
his friend's suggestion, Mamoru was silent for a few moments   
while he got the game back under control. Then he glared at the   
blonde, who laughed.  
  
"That's not exactly what I meant."  
  
"No, but it's a good idea all the same."  
  
No answer.  
  
"At least think about it."  
  
"Motoki, you spend too much time reading Reika's shoujo   
manga."  
  
Flushing, Motoki took a half-hearted swipe at Mamoru.  
  
Blue eyes widened and Mamoru gaped at his friend, "You   
mean...?" and he started laughing, whole-heartedly as Motoki   
hadn't heard for a long time.  
  
The blonde blushed harder and decided to go and actually do   
some work.  
  
He walked through the doorway into the Crown Fruit Parlour,   
almost crashing into another blonde who was coming the other way.  
  
"Hey, Usagi-chan. You finished for the day?"  
  
Usagi smiled at her colleague and nodded, "Yep. Now I've   
just got all my homework to do."  
  
"Well, good luck."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
The two continued on their way, Motoki to work and Usagi to   
home.  
  
Mamoru almost decided to see what the new waitress that   
Motoki had told him about looked like, but he was so close to   
finishing the level, he left it for another day.  
  
He managed to finish both that level and the next before   
the tingling that presaged the summons passed through his body.   
It was something he was getting used to after weeks of having it   
jump on him from nowhere and he was determined to find out why it   
happened sometime soon.  
  
Tonight would be good.  
  
So he left the arcade, leaving his character to die and,   
once he reached the street, began running in the direction he was   
being called.  
  
After a certain distance he began to hear the sounds that   
denoted a battle of the magical girl sort.   
  
He spun into a nearby shadowed nook between buildings and   
called up his identity as Senshi Earth. The darkness of armour   
and cloak folded about him and he was off, running faster than   
when he had been just Mamoru. He placed a hand on the hilt of   
his sword to stop it from getting tangled up in his legs and   
smiled at the sensation of his cloak flying out behind him.  
  
This outfit was more darkly dramatic than the tuxedo and   
wasn't quite so stupid looking. It also made him more powerful.   
The only thing it didn't have was a decent-sounding name to go   
with it, although 'Senshi Earth' _was_ a little better than   
'Tuxedo Kamen'.  
  
He knew, he just _knew_ it had been a female who'd made up   
those names.  
  
And then he was on the scene, watching mana-energy flying   
across the street in front of his face. Stopping on the edges of   
the fight, he took note of the players in this game and what each   
of their actions were.  
  
It was rather a large group, consisting of six Sailor   
Senshi, the Witches 5 twins, three of the new-style Sailor   
Farces, a single Sailor Anima-mate, a daimon and a tiny cherry-  
haired girl smiling happily at the chaos.   
  
Blinking, Senshi Earth noted that all the action was   
centred around the girl. The Sailor Senshi were trying to stop   
the Witches and Anima-mates from getting to the girl whilst   
avoiding the attacks of the Sailor Daimons.   
  
So, he mused, if the bad guys want the girl...  
  
Grinning in elation at having something dangerous to do,   
Earth took off, running between the few bodies between him and   
the girl. He swept her up and jumped as far and as high as he   
could, landing on the roof of a building on the other side of the   
street from where he'd been.  
  
Behind him there were sounds of frustration and anger, then   
the sounds of pursuit.  
  
He was so involved in his flight that he didn't notice the   
summons had died to a tiny ache in the vicinity of his heart.   
And he didn't notice the wide, surprised look the newest Sailor   
Senshi sent his way or the slight smile that appeared on her lips   
shortly afterwards.   
  
==========  
  
"Chibi chibi."  
  
The words floated back to where Sailor Venus was running   
after the tall dark-haired man and the tiny cherry-headed girl.   
She almost smiled, having heard that phrase many times in the   
past few weeks while Chibi-chibi, the girl, had been staying with   
her and her family.  
  
Then she frowned, wondering what the Sailor Anima-mates   
wanted with her little sister. Chibi-chibi was harmless, so   
innocent and adorable, how could anyone want to harm her?  
  
And what did Senshi Earth want with her that he would take   
her like that?  
  
Still, she supposed - hoped - that it was preferable to her   
being taken by the Anima-mates.  
  
Unfortunately it looked like they might end up with Chibi-  
chibi instead.  
  
Sailor Tin Nyanko, with her pointy cat ears and annoying   
bells, was catching up to the fleeing Earth and his small burden.   
Somehow, despite Earth's speed, she was managing to keep up and   
gain on the man.  
  
Venus put on a burst of speed, thanking her athletic   
training, and headed out in front of the others where she was   
joined shortly afterwards by Mars and StarFighter.   
  
The three of them managed to be there when Tin Nyanko made   
an attack. Venus managed to knock the black-clad Sailor Senshi   
out of the way, her attack missing the target. She then took a   
ready stance between Tin Nyanko and Earth, her hand held ready   
for attack.  
  
Mars joined her, abandoning her indifference in the wake of   
danger to a child.   
  
By the time any further action could be taken, everyone   
else had arrived. StarFighter broke off from Mars and Venus to   
join her fellow StarLights going up against Witch and Witch.   
Sailor Moon joined Earth, smiling at the little girl in his arms.  
  
Venus turned her attention back to Tin Nyanko just in time   
to dodge the next attack. Mars retaliated and the fight was   
joined in earnest.  
  
"VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"  
  
A string of golden hearts twined as well as they could   
around the Cat Senshi and Venus pulled the chain tight as Mars   
powered up an attack to use against the Senshi.  
  
Neither of them expected her to be strong enough to yank   
Venus towards her, sending the blonde flying through the air.  
  
Venus dropped the Love-Me Chain and twisted, reorienting   
herself to the ground. A wall of flame, released a split-second   
before, roared through the empty space where Tin Nyanko had been   
and brushed past Venus.   
  
Blinking at the near miss, the blonde took a quick look   
around the area, making sure to note where everyone was.   
  
Mars came up beside her, "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah. Didn't even get singed."  
  
Mars smiled in relief, her gaze still focussed on the   
Sailor Anima-mate, looking for any movement that would indicate   
action on her part.  
  
Venus noted the smile and returned it, knowing Mars would   
see it out of the corner of her eye.  
  
Then Tin Nyanko was in front of them, sending two bolts of   
golden light spinning towards them, deciding to kill two birds   
with one shot by stealing their StarSeeds to get them out of the   
fight.  
  
Having the experience they did with the Sailor Anima-mates   
and their methods, the two Senshi leaped out of the way. Once   
when they came rushing straight for them and again when the two   
spheres arced behind them and came flying back.  
  
==========  
  
Elsewhere, Sailor StarFighter stepped back from his own   
fight with Cyprine and Ptitol, wiping a hand across her brow and   
taking a few deep breaths. She watched as StarHealer and   
StarMaker led the two on a dance of pairs, working together as   
effectively as the twins.  
  
Then, curious, he looked around at everything else that was   
going on. Venus and Mars had just managed to avoid an attack by   
Sailor Tin Nyanko and were currently in the process of   
retaliating. And beyond them Sailor Moon had joined Senshi Earth   
and the two were easily taking on the remaining Sailor daimons   
and daimons.  
  
They were also doing a good job of protecting Chibi-chibi   
in between keeping her out of trouble and throwing intense looks   
at each other.   
  
StarFighter frowned as she noted this and wondered what was   
going on with the two of them.   
  
He was distracted by the arrival of Mercury, Neptune and   
Uranus joining in. She smiled, it was the first time they'd ever   
worked together, he wondered why everyone had decided to fight.  
  
But their arrival definitely made a difference to the tide   
of the fight. Mercury joined her two fellow Inners, freezing Tin   
Nyanko to the street and joining Mars and Venus in an attack that   
destroyed the cat-like Senshi.  
  
Neptune and Uranus distracted Cyprine and Ptitol with their   
attack and left an opening for the three StarLights to get in a   
good enough shot to send the two through one of the buildings   
lining the street. Then Uranus and Neptune sent a second attack   
flying at the two, separating the two of them.  
  
Following that, the two seemed disoriented and the final   
moment, when it came, was ended with an anguished glance between   
the two twins.   
  
StarFighter flung his long ponytail behind him and turned   
to the only fight remaining in time to see Senshi Earth run the   
last daimon through while Sailor Moon cradled Chibi-chibi in her   
arms.  
  
StarFighter smiled and gathering her sisters walked towards   
the Senshi who had become a friend in the short time they'd known   
one another.  
  
Everyone else did the same.  
  
"So why were they after Chibi-chibi?" Mars asked.  
  
Venus shrugged, "I don't get it. She's harmless." The   
blonde smiled at the little girl and reached out to take her from   
Sailor Moon who handed her over with reluctance.   
  
Chibi-chibi glanced between the two Senshi in indecision   
before settling in Venus' arms and cooing quietly.  
  
"Chibi-chibi."  
  
No one was quite sure exactly what happened next. One   
moment they were all standing around Sailor Moon and the next   
they were scattered across the road, sprawled where they had   
landed after being flung outwards by... something.  
  
She pushed herself up from where she had fallen and looked   
around, noting the crater that now occupied the place they had   
been standing. She ran her eyes around the area and found   
StarHealer and StarMaker, her silver-haired sister stirring. She   
headed for StarMaker and dropped into a crouch next to her,   
checking for any signs of life.  
  
A pair of high-heeled golden sandals that wrapped around   
shapely thighs drew to a halt across from her and she looked up   
into familiar sienna eyes.  
  
Falling back onto her hands, StarFighter gasped, "Galaxia!"   
She jumped to her feet and tried to find somewhere she could   
stand that was far enough from the other woman yet close enough   
so she could protect StarMaker.  
  
Then she had nothing more to worry about as a golden beam   
of Galaxia's power pierced StarMaker's heart, leaving her dead   
and StarFighter stunned.  
  
Then she was caught by the eyes of the woman who had killed   
her Princess and then there was nothing.  
  
==========  
  
Senshi Earth pushed himself up onto his elbows and glanced   
around, taking in the forms of various Senshi lying in various   
uncomfortable positions throughout the immediate area. Then he   
winced, lifting a hand to his forehead and feeling a sticky   
wetness that indicated injury.   
  
Sure enough, when he bought his hand back down to eye   
level, it was smeared with fresh blood.   
  
Then an echo of pain that didn't belong to him flashed   
through his nerve endings and his gaze fell on Sailor Moon. The   
blonde Senshi was lying, curled protectively around Chibi-chibi,   
blood oozing from a wound on her arm and gathering beneath her   
leg.   
  
An ache tugged at his heart and he stumbled to his feet,   
heading in her direction. He placed his hand on her shoulder   
and gasped as a wave of warmth washed through him, replacing   
weariness with strength.  
  
The blonde head rose and bright blue eyes caught his and   
smiled, "Hi," she whispered.  
  
"Hi," he replied just as quietly, captivated. The summons   
that had been pulling at him since earlier died, leaving him   
alone with a beautiful blonde who had the bluest eyes he'd ever   
seen.  
  
Sailor Moon twisted herself into a sitting position,   
setting Chibi-chibi in her lap and brushing a few strands back   
from the child's face. Senshi Earth's hand fell away from her   
shoulder as he sat back, relaxing into the encounter.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Earth blinked and shook his head, "I don't know.   
Something..."   
  
He remembered the positions he'd seen the other Senshi in   
and looked around in time to see Galaxia spear Jupiter and   
Mercury with beams of golden light, leaving the two lying there   
before turning her attention to the two Outer Senshi.  
  
"Ah, there you are, Galaxia," a dark, velvet voice sounded   
from behind him and a woman whose black hair swept the ground   
behind her stepped towards the golden woman.  
  
"Do you realise that you have destroyed all my plans? It   
will be years until I manage to gather enough power to call   
Pharaoh Ninety and all because _you_ had to borrow _my_ people   
for your own ends," the voice continued casually as she walked   
steadily towards Galaxia. "I believe I am rather annoyed."  
  
Galaxia watched the dark woman draw closer and shrugged,   
"It's not my problem your people were too incompetent to finish   
things before I arrived. You, Mistress Nine, should have planned   
things better."  
  
Dark purple eyes flashed, "My plans were perfect until you   
came along. You are not supposed to be here." Without warning,   
her hair writhed and silken black strands waved across the   
ground, encircling the golden Senshi who began to glow.  
  
The hair dropped away then reformed into a cocoon that   
surrounded Galaxia, rays of the golden light seeping from between   
the strands. Then it exploded and Galaxia was free to retaliate.  
  
Over the next few minutes, Earth was witness to the   
exchange of more energy than he had ever seen in use before. The   
nearby buildings were the first things to go and he and the other   
Senshi decided on moving out of the way of the stray beams of   
light, fronds of dark hair and other miscellaneous bursts of   
energy.  
  
But there was a need to monitor what was going on, so they   
stayed within view, watching the fight from various positions   
around the area. He and Sailor Moon had remained together and   
took turns protecting one another from falling concrete and   
cascades of glittering glass that fell from the buildings.  
  
Then a gas main blew up, sending flames into the darkness   
of the night sky and billows of thick smoke obscured the scene   
behind it, heat waves distorting everything further. And in the   
hellish light of the fire Mistress Nine and Galaxia continued to   
fight.  
  
Senshi Earth dived out from behind the rubble he and Sailor   
Moon had been hiding in as ice encrusted the ground in a trail   
that led straight to them. A blast of icy-cold air hit him and   
he shivered, continuing to move as the iced over area expanded,   
stopping only when it began to compete with the flames of the   
still-burning gas main.  
  
"No..." Sailor Moon whispered from ahead of him. He   
followed the direction of her stricken gaze to where a young   
woman and child were lying, half-lying underneath a sizeable slab   
of concrete. A fraction of a steel beam could be seen extending   
from it, the ends melted and still glowing orange where it had   
been sheared out of a building. Fragments of glass were   
scattered across the ground around the two people and embedded in   
their flesh, glistening with fresh red blood.  
  
Earth froze as he looked at them, both quite obviously   
dead. Then he remembered StarMaker, StarHealer, Mercury and   
Jupiter and everything caught up with him all at once.  
  
Things weren't meant to happen like this. What was the   
point of having special powers if you couldn't save innocent   
people like these?  
  
He watched as Sailor Moon knelt next to the woman, brushing   
stray bits of glass out of her hair and smoothing it back from   
her face. She straightened the woman's clothes as much as she   
could and then turned her attention to the child.  
  
Chibi-chibi brushed tiny palms across the woman's face and   
together she and Sailor Moon grieved.  
  
Crystal tears that ran down Sailor Moon's face splashed   
onto the child's and suddenly Earth had had enough. They   
couldn't be the only two innocents to have been caught like this,   
not with the amount of destruction that had been circling   
Mistress Nine and Galaxia.  
  
As if reading his thoughts one of Galaxia's energy blasts   
shot towards them, brushing close to Sailor Moon and Chibi-chibi   
where they knelt and Earth turned to face the two women. His   
vision blurred red and his fists clenched as he closed his eyes   
to the spectacle of gold and black battling each other. He   
reached for the void he had known in his dream and jumped into   
it, knowing that he could stop this, that Earth would give him   
the power to do so.  
  
~Flash~  
  
//Falling...//  
  
~Flash~   
  
And the Power was there, filling him and blazing through   
the crystal embedded in the blade of his sword. In agony and   
ecstasy at the shear volume and weight of Power, Earth threw his   
head back, his face drawn tight in lines that displayed exactly   
what he was experiencing.  
  
A blaze of light shot from the ground beneath his feet,   
running up his body until it left him, being thrown into the air   
where it disappeared into the haze of atmosphere.  
  
When he had grown as accustomed to the pleasure-pain as he   
ever would, he bent his head towards the two women who had   
stopped their fight and were watching him warily.  
  
With a graceful sweep of his arm he drew the blade that   
held the golden crystal and raised it towards Mistress Nine and   
Galaxia.  
  
"tHIS iS _mY_ pLANET. lEAVE oR dIE."  
  
The two woman continued to watch him, neither making a move   
as Senshi Earth stepped towards them, slowly and deliberately. A   
presence came up next to him and, out of the corner of his eyes,   
he saw Sailor Moon, still holding Chibi-chibi, marching with him.   
Her blue eyes were determined and Earth felt a curious sense of   
deja vu as he refocussed on the other two women.  
  
"lEAVE oR dIE," he repeated and his voice was still   
resonant with Power and the weight of the Earth's authority,   
granted to him.  
  
When the pair of combatants once more remained still, Earth   
moved. Swiftly and in silence, his sword extending in a whip of   
energy that moved with a speed beyond what anyone could hope to   
avoid. Mistress Nine cried out in pain as the whip ripped   
through the defence of her hair and touched her lightly on the   
arm. Yet just the single tap was enough for her to be thrown   
back and back until she had broken through a wall, then two and   
three.  
  
Galaxia, also, was caught as Earth closed in, the energy-  
whip still moving. It cut through her arms, leaving red stains   
running in tiny rivers down her hands and dripping to the ground   
where she stood.   
  
Her eyes widened, stunned, as she glanced at her arm,   
noticing the damage done to her and then she glanced at Earth   
furiously. Sienna eyes blazed red and when Earth was close   
enough for him to use the blade-proper of his sword, Galaxia was   
ready for it.  
  
Catching the blade in a single hand she hissed at the pain   
of burning flesh and allowed her power to blaze through her   
bracelets, and through the sword. Earth held on, still gathering   
energy from beneath his feet and from the golden crystal and   
pumping it through the blade that connected him and Galaxia.  
  
Galaxia returned the favour and soon an inferno of   
incandescent light raged in the centre of the destruction as each   
sought to burn the other out.  
  
Then it was over and Earth fell, his hand dropping from the   
hilt and tipping backwards all life and colour draining from his   
eyes.  
  
The Power of Earth could not compete with the Power of   
Galaxies.  
  
==========  
  
Brushing the tears off her cheeks, Sailor Moon lifted her   
head and looked around, her eyes searching out the broken people   
she had missed while she was running and dodging.   
  
...A hand stretched out from beneath rubble, a man lay in   
the middle of the road, his chest gaping open, a child hung, half   
embedded in a wall, head dangling limply...  
  
Everywhere she looked there were more people. Over there,   
StarFighter and StarMaker lay and a little beyond them, Jupiter   
and Mercury. A flash of familiar red and she saw Mars' eyes   
staring unseeing into the smoky night sky. Uranus was bent over   
the still body of her partner and Venus and StarHealer were   
standing, watching the two combatants for a chance at revenge.  
  
Fresh tears welled in her eyes at the devastation that   
surrounded her.  
  
This... this wasn't right.  
  
Standing, she noticed that Earth had turned his attention to   
Galaxia and Mistress Nine and took a step towards him.  
  
"Chibi-chibi!"  
  
Sailor Moon looked at the girl she had been looking after   
for so long and at the strangely adult light in her eyes as she   
held out her tiny arms, demanding to be picked up. Hesitating,   
Sailor Moon swiftly bent and picked her up, swinging Chibi-chibi   
onto her hip and swinging back around just in time to see Earth   
explode with power.  
  
The incandescent golden-white light shot in a column to the   
heavens and Earth advanced.  
  
Sailor Moon moved in beside him, ready to back him up in   
any way necessary. They couldn't let these two women take this   
planet that was their home.  
  
She glanced at Earth out of the corner of her eye and   
couldn't help but smile. There was something so right about   
standing beside this man supporting his actions and ready to   
fight with him. It was a familiar feeling and it was with   
satisfaction and pride that she watched as Mistress Nine was   
thrown backwards.  
  
As Earth turned to deal with Galaxia, Sailor Moon decided   
she'd keep Mistress Nine occupied. She and Earth were a team and   
each had their part to play.   
  
A tiny smirk played on her lips as she watched Mistress   
Nine rise from where she had been thrown and make her way back   
through the walls that had slowed and finally stopped her flight.   
A thin line of red ran from her lips to her chin and her dark   
eyes blazed with anger that was focussed on Earth.   
  
The dark woman pushed tangled strands of hair out of her   
face and drew herself to her full height, extending her hand   
towards Senshi Earth where he stood, locked in a struggle with   
Galaxia.  
  
Sailor Moon stepped between them, throwing her head back,   
the smile still in place, "Two against one isn't exactly fair,   
you know."  
  
Mistress Nine paused then matched Sailor Moon's smile with   
one of her own, "No, I guess not. One against one on the other   
hand..."  
  
Sailor Moon dodged the first half-expected strike, feeling   
the rush of air past her face as sharp black strands attempted to   
decapitate her. Then her hand flashed up and caught the mass of   
hair, wincing as it dug into her palms, but holding on. Wrapping   
it more firmly around her fist, Sailor Moon let loose a burst of   
energy that flashed along the strands and reached the other   
woman.  
  
White-silver lightening arced across her body as Mistress   
Nine's body tensed in pain. She hissed and let the hair fall,   
detaching it from the rest of the mass where it became normal   
hair.  
  
Thankful for all the training she'd done, with and without   
Luna, Sailor Moon dropped the hair and leapt forwards, snatching   
the tiara from her forehead and snapping it out into a whip, much   
like the one that had extended from Earth's sword earlier.   
  
Using it to parry Mistress Nine's attacks, she drew near   
enough to snap a spin-kick into the other woman's face. She   
followed through with a second kick to her midriff and moved   
back, allowing her tiara to dissolve back to it's original form   
then into the disk of glowing light that had been her first   
attack. Infusing it with far more energy than it had had the   
first time, she sent it flying towards Mistress Nine.  
  
Striking the dark-haired woman in the stomach, the energy   
disk exploded, wrapping golden strands of light around her and   
pulling tight.  
  
Mistress Nine screamed and began to struggle wildly as   
Sailor Moon, not wanting to underestimate her opponent, changed   
the structure of the energy that bound the other woman and began   
drawing off her energy to fuel the prison.  
  
A soundless scream ripped through her consciousness and her   
head whipped around, searching...  
  
The light that had surrounded Senshi Earth and Galaxia   
since she had begun to fight Mistress Nine had finished and Earth   
was falling backwards.  
  
Abandoning Mistress Nine to the mercies of her tiara,   
Sailor Moon ran, sliding in behind Earth just before he hit the   
ground and lowering him the rest of the way gently. She cradled   
his head against her chest supporting his upper body in a semi-  
upright position.   
  
Stroking the hair back from Earth's face, Sailor Moon   
noticed the blank sightlessness of his eyes and felt something   
within her break, opening a flood of memories.  
  
~Flash~  
  
//Laughing with Endymion while Venus watched in the   
background, unwilling to spoil their time together.   
Sneaking down to Earth at night, loving the moonlight and   
the rose-scented air and Endymion above all things...//  
  
//The fear in Endymion's face as he told her of the unrest   
amongst his people...//  
  
//Mars and Jupiter urging her not to go to Earth, knowing   
there would be danger to their Princess. Queen Serenity,   
her mother, forbidding her to return to Earth and her   
beloved's side and ordering the Inner Senshi to make sure   
she remained...//  
  
//Managing to get past her guardians in time to see the   
first waves of the people of Earth arriving on the moon,   
anger and fear glowing in their eyes. The Four Generals   
who had been her friends standing with the Witch, Beryl, as   
the Moon Palace burned while her mother searched for   
her...//  
  
//A hand grabbing her arm as Endymion whispered in her ear   
and left to do battle. Running after him and being caught   
up in the whirlwind of bloodlust until Endymion fell...//  
  
//Endymion's sword piercing her side as she slid it home,   
unwilling to live without him, knowing they would meet   
again...//  
  
~Flash~  
  
Tears ran once more down her cheeks as she came back to   
herself, Senshi Earth, Endymion, clutched to her in desperation.  
  
Not again.  
  
This couldn't happen, she'd just found him and he had   
already been taken away. She wouldn't let it happen.   
  
She wouldn't.  
  
The next tear that fell from her eyes contained all of her   
determination, fear, pain, loneliness, love and anger. It   
flashed with a rainbow of colours and solidified, becoming   
something familiar and beloved. It had hovered in the back of   
each memory that had swept through her mind and she _knew_ it,   
beyond her knowing of Endymion, herself and the rest of the   
Silver Millennium.  
  
A hand fisted around the small silver crystal and Sailor   
Moon stood up. This time she was going to make them pay for   
taking Endymion away from her.   
  
He was hers.  
  
Her Sailor fuku bloomed into a flowing white gown, her   
tiara into a crescent moon that glinted on her brow. Her hair   
bleached to white and she stood, lying Earth on the ground.  
  
"You..." she whispered to Galaxia and everything   
disappeared in a soundless explosion of white.  
  
==========  
  
Mistress Nine glanced up from her struggles as her prison   
loosened from about her body and began to fall away.  
  
The annoying Senshi that had been standing in front of her,   
keeping her here, the supposed amateur was no longer there. It   
didn't take long to find her again though, she was kneeling on the   
ground in front of Galaxia, holding Senshi Earth to her chest.   
  
Mistress Nine smirked, so the Moon Senshi was in love with   
the Earth. That was useful iformation, she thought, preparing to   
attack while Sailor Moon was open and vulnerable to attack. Then   
the blonde's head bent over Earth even further, her short hair   
falling forward and obscuring her face. A strange stillness   
settled around her and began to move outwards.  
  
As it reached her, Mistress Nine shivered, a sense of   
foreboding forcing her to stay her hand and just watch instead.  
  
Tears began to fall from Sailor Moon's face, splashing   
against Earth's face until one of them caught the light and became   
something more. A fist closed around the newly formed crystal and   
the blonde Senshi stood, her head coming up to glare at Galaxia.  
  
Mistress Nine watched as Sailor Moon's fuku spun away, a   
white gown appearing in it's place. Behind her, Earth's armour   
also changed, altering slightly into something less ornamental and   
more elegant. But he didn't stir, which almost surprised the   
woman watching.  
  
Then Sailor Moon whispered a word that spread in ripples,   
the menace within the single word enough to increase the   
foreboding Mistress Nine had been feeling and she decided she did   
not want to be there. This woman had far too much Power.  
  
A brief thought later, Mistress Nine was no longer in the   
vicinity.  
  
==========  
  
Venus watched as Sailor Moon became a figure of dreams.   
  
Her dreams.  
  
She gasped as the knowledge flowed over her with certainty.   
The Princess, Sailor Moon was the Princess.   
  
This was the Princess.  
  
And as light bloomed from the slight figure standing in the   
centre of the mess, she felt complete for the first time in this   
life. She was everything Venus knew she would be and more.  
  
No one could stand before her Princess, she whispered to   
herself, and to prove it Galaxia was washed away, dissolved,   
cleansed. Then she was no longer there and the waves of   
Serenity's power continued outwards.  
  
Venus smiled as the tsunami of white light rolled over her,   
letting herself fall into it as she had been wanting to do   
forever.  
  
==========  
  
StarFighter stirred and carefully blinked open her eyes,   
expecting a pain that never came. A frown pulled at her brow as   
she took in the clear grey sky, framed by rooves and trees around   
the clean area of city where she lay. She pushed herself to her   
elbows and looked around, a sense of unreality making her blink   
frequently.  
  
Around her lay all the Senshi who had fought against   
Galaxia. Her sisters, the Outers, the Inners, Earth and Sailor   
Moon, all of them were there and none of them seemed to be hurt.  
  
That seemed wrong to StarFighter.  
  
She tried to recall the last thing that happened to her and   
a pair of sienna eyes appeared in her mind, a hand raising then   
nothing. Galaxia killing StarMaker then her.  
  
Jerking the rest of the way into a sitting position, she   
stared at StarMaker who was breathing gently next to her. She   
turned and felt for a pulse, just in case and exhaled a deep   
breath as she felt it beating steadily beneath her palm.  
  
The touch woke her sister and StarFighter smiled into   
bewildered blue eyes before looking to everyone else.  
  
Uranus had woken and was looking with confusion at the   
sword that lay against her chest. She ran a finger up the blade,   
eyes widening, then she smiled and turned, opening her mouth to   
speak. Seeing her partner, lying still beside her, a mirror   
cradled in her hands, she panicked. Memory dawned behind her   
eyes and she shook Neptune frantically, sighing with relief when   
the other girl moaned softly and turned into the touch.  
  
Jupiter and Mars had also woken, observing everything in   
much the same way as StarFighter was. Neither seemed to know   
what had happened and were busy looking themselves over for   
evidence of injuries they knew had been there.  
  
Then, almost at the same moment, Earth and Venus woke.  
  
Senshi Earth scrambled next to Sailor Moon, checking her   
for signs of life, followed shortly after by Venus who seemed to   
be holding her breath waiting for Earth's verdict.   
  
When Earth sighed in relief, a brilliant smile dawned on   
Venus' face and tears gathered in her eyes, though they didn't   
fall.   
  
Earth scooped Sailor Moon into his arms and bent over her,   
whispering in her ear then just watching her.  
  
"Princess..." a voice behind StarFighter breathed   
reverently and she turned to look, seeing StarHealer staring in   
the direction of Earth, Moon and Venus. The awe in her voice was   
plain on her face and StarFighter watched as she also rose and   
went to Sailor Moon.  
  
Venus smiled at StarHealer as she came to stand beside her   
and they stood in a harmony of understanding, watching Sailor   
Moon with the same intensity, though different emotion, as Senshi   
Earth.  
  
Curious, each of the other Senshi slowly gathered around   
the unconscious blonde Senshi and it slowly dawned on each of   
them as the watched her that here lay the Princess. It was   
whispered by each in acknowledgement as they formed a circle   
around her and waited patiently for her awakening.  
  
==========  
  
In limbo, Serenity, Princess of the Moon, floated   
peacefully, tears still drying on her face though she couldn't   
remember why they were there.   
  
Curling into a foetal position, she clutched the crystal to   
her chest, shutting everything out of this place.  
  
This place, she knew she'd been here before. It reminded   
her of her mother, but it wasn't. She frowned as she tried to   
recall where she'd last felt like this then her mind let the   
question spin away into nothingness and she floated.  
  
She didn't know how long she was there, floating, avoiding   
thought and emotion, but slowly, very slowly, something began to   
intrude on her peace.  
  
Despair.   
  
Emptiness.  
  
Something that even the warm peacefulness couldn't fill.  
  
Endymion...  
  
And Princess Serenity uncurled herself, looking off into   
the soft, featureless white light that surrounded her and cried.  
  
~/Are you sad, Princess?/~  
  
Serenity looked up, searching for the mouth that had spoken   
the question, but nothing had changed, nothing was here.  
  
"Yes."  
  
~/Why?/~  
  
"Endymion, beloved... he's dead."  
  
~/You don't want him to be?/~  
  
"No."  
  
~/Then wake up, Princess, and so shall he./~  
  
So Princess Serenity woke up...  
  
==========  
  
...And looked into familiar blue-grey eyes that watched her   
with concern. Warm arms cradled her carefully and the lips broke   
into a smile when she blinked. Beyond him, smiles broke out on   
the faces of the other Senshi that surrounded them.   
  
Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune,   
StarFighter, StarMaker, StarHealer... all of them were there.  
  
"Princess," whispered Venus and curtsied deeply, eyes   
glowing.  
  
Each of the others, in turn, did the same, until each of   
them were bent towards her.  
  
And behind them, Serenity noticed that they were still in   
the area where they had fought Galaxia, but it was whole. Each   
of the buildings was unharmed and the road was intact.  
  
"Wha...?"  
  
"You healed everything, Princess," StarFighter told her   
quietly, the awe in her dark blue eyes mirrored on the faces of   
the others.  
  
Serenity looked, again, at the man holding her.  
  
The eyes and lips of Senshi Earth, Endymion, continued   
smiling as he looked at the other Senshi also. Then he turned   
back to her and the intensity in his eyes doubled as his smile   
softened.  
  
"I remember, Princess," he whispered and also bowed his   
head, briefly, to her.   
  
Then something, a memory, flashed through his eyes and he   
bent his head and gently kissed her, lips lingering on hers for a   
long moment as her eyes fell shut.  
  
When he lifted his head again she was smiling and the sun   
burst from above the rooftops, bathing the area in the first   
golden light of day.   
  
==========  
  
Sailor Pluto watched, relieved, as the Prince and Princess   
kissed for the first time, seeing that the love still remained.   
  
She shifted her gaze along the timeline a thousand years   
and found, to her delight, that Crystal Tokyo stood in greater   
glory than she'd ever seen it.  
  
And she laughed in delight before lifting her voice to   
address someone unseen.  
  
"And still She wins! You cannot defeat Her, not so long as   
He also exists. They have won!" The laughter rang once again   
through the misty space that was all the only thing that existed   
outside the timeline. "They have WON!"  
  
The Senshi of Time looked down at the golden bracelets that   
bound her to the chair where she had been sitting for so long and   
smiled, the slightest touch of madness in her eyes.  
  
Her voice sounded again in a whisper, "Princess. Prince.   
Queen. King. Even without me, even then... Ah, I chose well   
when I chose your mother, your father, your blood. I love you   
dearly my Queen, my King. And I always shall. I love you..."  
  
And she giggled, unconsciously twisting her wrists within   
their bindings.  
  
Elsewhere within the mists of Non-Time another pair of eyes   
watched the same scene and heard Sailor Pluto's manic laughter.   
  
The watcher's eyes turned thoughtful, "They have won?   
Perhaps, my beloved Pluto, perhaps they have. But this is not   
over yet. It never will be... not until one of us no longer   
exists..."  
  
==Owari==  
  
Song: Nagareboshi He(Shooting Star)from the SM Stars Best   
Collection. Lyrics found at Lyric Moon.   
The lyrics are ordered a little differently for convenience.  
  
C&C welcome, questions answered  
sefilin@yahoo.com  
http://www.geocities.com/sefilin/  
  
  



End file.
